Fading
by RussLiet4evah
Summary: Sequel to Siberia. OCxOC, RussLiet, Ukrainada, Prungary, HungaryxAustria, GerIta, NiChu, FrUK, SpaMano, and TurkeyxGreece, BelAme, EstoniaxLatvia. Reference to rape, smut and addictions, charcater death. Yaoi, language, mpreg. Gore, but much much later. Rated T to be safe. :/
1. Chapter 1

"Joska! Come back here!"

"Hold on Dad… I just need ein minute…"

"Hm? What are you looking at awesome son?" My dad asked when he finally caught up to me.

"There, do you see her?"

"Which one, there's like, a hundred girls there…"

"That one, with the long, perfect, white hair, and the pretty blue eyes…" I said, "Her name is Anastasia…"

"Hm? Ohhh… I see what's going on!" He said, laughing to himself, "Mien awesome son, has an awesome crush on a girl who he thinks is awesome, ja?"

"Ja…" I said blushing a little. "But don't tell Mutti okay!"

"Don't worry Jo, I won't tell Elizabeta, it's safe with me." He said putting my wavy brown hair, "You know, if you really like that girl go talk to her."

"I can't… that school is for all girls… But there's this dance coming up at school next week, I'm going to ask her out… is that a good plan?"

"Ja, sounds great! But uhm… we might get kicked off the grounds if we keep stalking the students, Joska." My dad laughed his deep, crisp laugh, I looked into his ruby-red eyes that were exactly like mine, I don't know why my mom didn't stay with us anymore, for as long as I could remember mom and dad had hated each other, well actually…

My dad was completely in love with my mom, Elizabeta a little better known as Hungary, but she didn't feel the spark anymore, whatever that meant. Anyway, they had been in love for a long time, but after they found out they were going to have me, my mom told Dad that she didn't love him anymore, I don't get it, sometimes I wonder if it was because of me, but Dad says some things just aren't meant to be. Back to what I was saying before, my dad was pretty cool, he was occasionally a little narcissistic, but he was only like that for a little while at a time, and sometimes he was ridiculously drunk, but he sobers up quick, and never hurts anyone even when he is, but aside from those and a few other personality flaws, he was a great guy, and a wonderful Dad.

"Hey? You okay? You've been staring at me like that for a while now…"

"Huh? Ja, I'm fine." I hugged him tightly, "You're super awesome Dad… I love you."

"Huh?" He was a little shocked, but he loosened up and hugged me back, "Ich liebe dich auch, Joska." He said, patting my back, "Come on, we've only got a little way to go until we finish today's mile!"

He pushed me off a little and stared running, "If you can beat me I'll raise your allowance ten percent!" He yelled.

I chased him as fast as I could, I noticed he took a new turn, I hadn't seen this street before on our usual routes, but I figured out where we were when I crashed into a person and saw who it was.

"Žiūrėkite, kur einat nevykėlis! O ..." She blushed when she saw my face directly, "You… what's your name?"

"I'm Joska Beilshmidt…"

"Oh… Uhm… I think I know a little German, can I try?"

"Ja…"

"Okay… uhm…. Hallo, ich bin Anastasia Braginski."

"…"

"Oh? Did I not say it right?"

"No, it was perfect…" I said, barely able to speak, "Uhm, listen I know that this is really sudden, but uhm… you know the dnace between our schools next week, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

"Slow down! I don't know that much German!"

"Huh? Oh! Mien Gott… sorry… Would you like to go to the Summer Festival Dance at my school with me?"

"Really? I mean uhm… ya sure…" She said, blushing brightly, "I was actually going to ask you the same thing…"

"Really?" I asked, finally getting up from where I had crashed into her, "Great! I guess I'll see you around then?"

"Ya sure, I can't wait, da?" She said smiling, her eyes glittering like sapphires.

"Anastasia? Come on, let's go home princess, da?"

"Daddy!" She said, "Oh… Daddy this is Joska, I'm going to go to the Summer Dance with him next week, da?"

"Oh? Well, I hope you know how to treat a lady Mr. uhm. What was you last name?"

"Beilshmidt…" I said shyly to the very tall man who stood before with his hand son either of his daughters shoulders.

"Da?... Son of… Gilbert or Ludwig?"

"…G-Gilbert…" I said, suddenly recognizing this man from my dad's many descriptions, Ivan Braginski, who hated my dad with a (returned) burning passion.

"Da?... hmm…" He sneered at me for a second, "I suppose I can give you a chance, after all. It has been quite a while since I've seen my little snow-angel smile like that, da?"

"Oh?..." I tried to smile at him… but got very nervous.

"Hey Joska!"

"Oh! Hi there Darijus!" I said waving at the boy my age, "How's it going?"

"Are you taking my sister to the dance? Is that what I just heard?"

"Darijus! Mind your own business!" Anastasia yelled into the car, "I can't wait to pick something out! Come on Daddy, I bet Mom will help me, da?"

"Alright, see you later then young sir, da?"

"Oi! Hey shortie! Get away from my son!"

"I don't see the big deal, da? He just asked my daughter out, why shouldn't I talk to him?"

"What? This is… No! Absolutely not! Joska, you cannot take this girl to the dance!"

"What? But you said…"

"I know, but if I had known before… No, just no! Come on we're going home!"

"But I…" He grabbed my collar and dragged me off for a bit, before I fought him off. I turned to see all three of the people in the parking lot behind us staring in shock, "You're a liar…"

"What? Oh… Listen she's a Braginski, there's no way she could be any different from her asshole father…"

"You mean besides the fact that she's a girl, her eyes are blue and she's seventeen and was going to try and ask me out too?"

"Right, aside from the obvious…" He said, rubbing his forehead, "I wish you would have said who she was, I wouldn't have given you the chance…"

"It shouldn't be your decision!" I yelled, he stopped and looked at me with a very confused look, I realized I had never retorted to my dad before.

"What? Don't you want me to keep you from getting hurt?"

"What if I don't care if I get hurt? You and mom _knew_ it wouldn't work out forever and you still-"

"I don't want you to tell me what happened between mienself and your mother!" He said, his voice getting harsh and hateful almost, "I'm protecting you from what I feel!"

"What if the good times outweigh the bad? What if you are _protecting _me from the best thing that might ever happen to me?" I demanded him, as we entered our front door.

"Aghh! I don't want to hear this! Go to your room and don't come out until supper is ready!"

I did as told but I slammed the door as hard as I could manage and I heard him drop something heavy, made of glass and then curse.

I grabbed my cell and texted Darijus.

_Hey, can I have Anastasia's #?_

_**Sure I guess… here it's 546-9986**_

_Cool, thanks._

_**Whatevs man…**_

I typed the number into the send to bar and started a message:

_Hey… It's Darijus, what's up?_

_**Hi! nm, Mom is helping me decide what 2 wear.**_

_Cool. So uhm… your dad is cool with it right?_

_**With what? Us going 2 the dance?**_

_Yea_

_**He's not ecstatic, but he isn't going nuts like your dad…**_

_Alright, so anyway, you want 2 hang out sometime?_

_**Sure, what do you have in mind?**_

_What about the park downtown?_

_**Cool! 2nite?**_

_Whenever is good for you._

_**Well, maybe 2mrw after school?**_

_Sure, see you then._

_**Yep, bye! 3**_

"Greater than three?" I asked out loud.

"It's a heart." I heard my dad say from behind me, "I don't believe this, but you can go to that stupid dance… but you have to come home immediately after, ja?"

"Really?"

"Ja…" He didn't look me in the eyes, "Now, get washed up for your supper, 'cause I need help… I really burnt it this time…"

I laughed at him, and he looked up, blushing, and we went downstairs and started fixing something edible.


	2. Running

"Hey, Daddy?" I called to the house.

"Downstairs angel!" He responded, I walked quietly down the long, spiraling staircase, I held my breath for a second, he was drawing again, and I loved the sound of his pencil on the sycamore paper.

"Daddy, where did Darijus and Mom go?" I asked him after nearly a minute of listening silently.

"Hm? Toris took Darijus to your Aunt and Uncles house for the weekend, da? He should be back soon."

"Oh, okay. Hey Daddy?"

"Da?"

"Why does the Boys' school not have classes on Fridays?"

"The same reason that the Girls' school doesn't have classes on Mondays. No reason, I suppose, da?" He answered, setting down the pencil and taking a good clear look at his work so far, "So, are you going to wear your uniform or take a change of clothes to your little date tomorrow?"

"How did you find out about that?"

"You know I check all you texts, da?" He said smiling to himself, "It's actually very cute."

"Hey! You shouldn't do that! What if it's a private message? Or something that needs to be a surprise, da?"

"Th-… hmm… I don't know, you didn't answer my question though, da? What are you going to wear?"

"I was thinking about the skinny-jeans, and my cut-off tank, maybe some bracelets, da?"

"Sounds like you." He said, "Hey, Anya?"

"Da, Daddy? What is it?" I asked, sensing a strange worry in his deep, but kind voice.

"You don't think I'm bad at what I do, do you, da?"

"Drawing? Nyet I-"

"No I mean… uhm…" He turned around and looked me in the eyes, "You know I love you right?"

"Of course! Why would you think I don't know that?" I asked, stepping back in shock.

"I'm worried… about Darijus…"

"Why?" I asked, I was getting a little scared, Daddy doesn't talk like this to me, he always smiles and tells me happy things, the look I saw on his face, sorrow, even a hint of fear, terrified me, "What's wrong with him, da?"

"Does he ever talk to you about me or your mother?" He asked, "He almost seems like he doesn't care, or thinks that we don't…" He sighed, and returned to his picture, "He spends so much time at Matt's house… I wonder if he decided he doesn't want to live with us anymore…" He picked up his pencil, pulled out a new sheet of paper and started to draw something else, I couldn't tell, and I wasn't going to ask. He was sketching very quickly, not lifting his hand from the paper, not going over to check for mistakes, when he got like this, he never messed up the image. He blinked a few times, and was done, he looked at it, smiled softly then crumpled it up and threw it away.

"Daddy… I don't think he believes that, I know what's wrong, but I don't know if he'd want me to say it, da?"

"Oh? Well as long as you're sure it's not what I thought it was, then I ca-" He stopped, and made a terrible face, as if he had just gotten hurt very badly, "Turn on the television dear…" he said, I did as I was told and flipped to the news.

"…_endangered babies- oh? I've just received word that the old capital in Moscow has caught fire, we'll be back in a few moments with footage."_

My dad groaned and doubled over for a few seconds before the film turned back on.

"_You can see here, that the building is completely enveloped in the flames, people are pushing and shoving to get out of the building now."_

Daddy fell out of his chair, curled up tightly, with his arms wrapped around his chest, I checked the screen again.

A lot of screaming, and a huge cloud of dirt and smoke flew toward the camera man, I heard Daddy cry out in pain, and the man on the tv yelled.

"_Oh my God! The capital building has just collapsed under its own weight!"_

"Daddy?" I cooed, he was shivering on the ground, "Daddy, do you need something, da?"

He didn't answer, so I moved around him to look at his face, "Da?" He was unconscious, I called Mom.

"…And then he just collapsed!" I said, as Mom carried daddy to their room. Mom was a lot stronger than he looked, he carried Daddy bridal style, in spite of how much smaller he was than Daddy.

"Alright… then I need to explain something to you I bet, huh?"

"Da." I looked over, and I saw that Daddy was awake again, "… what happened?"

"The rebels burnt down the capital, it collapsed. There must have been a lot of people inside, because you passed out, plus you bleeding from your side."

"Da? Anya, leave for a moment dear, I think I ought to take a look."

"It's high enough, and low enough not to send her out, love." Mom said, pulling open the heavy coat, "You want to tell her or should I?" He asked his bed ridden husband.

"You can if you want to, da?" Daddy answered, closing his eyes and trying to relax while Mom put the cleaning alcohol into the wound that had caused itself.

"Alright," Mom sighed for a second, "Anastasia, you know what we are, don't you?"

"we're people aren't we?"

"Well… Yes and no…"

"What do you mean, Mom?" I asked feeling uncertain, I sat down next to Daddy, who avoided looking into my eyes.

"Well, you hear us talking about countries as if we own the people who live in them, and the land right?"

"Da."

"Well, we sort of do… okay, this is going to sound really weird, I know, but here goes. My name is Toris Laurnaitis-Braginski, and I am the country Lithuania."

Daddy spoke to, "I am Ivan Laurnaitis-Braginski, and I am the Federation of Russia." He whispered.

"Huh? I don't understand."

"Hold on it gets longer, Anastasia, you are the territory known as Siberia, and Darijus is the, newly returned to you father, land of Alaska. That is why the winter season hurts us all so badly, and why we also hurt when our people die. It's why we get sick when diseases pass through our land, and why we are always watching national news."

"TO keep track of your nations?"

"And our friends as well, da? Yao and Kiku, are China and Japan. Your Aunt and Uncle are Ukraine and Canada respectively."

"Anyone else?"

"Heracles and Sadiq, Francis and Arthur, Gilbert, Elizabeta and Roderich, Im Yong and Xiang, Natalia, Veneziano and Ludwig, also Lovino and Antonio, Eduard and Ravis, and their kids, heck I think even Joska is at least a territory!"

"Da? Really?"

"Taip, you see we are all under stress, many of us are going through what Ivan is, our people are revolting against our bosses, which, causes us pain. What's worse, if the people win and the government is changed, the people change the name and system of the country completely, so the body of that country, would die and a new one would take his or her place." Mom explained, wrapping Daddy's cut tightly.

"Daddy?" I asked, feeling tears start to fall.

"Nyet love, don't you worry! I have been through many changes in my time, the history of my country is in the mind of all my people, they will not do anything horribly drastic even if they do win, all they want is someone to blame the pain on, da?" He said, sitting up and pulling me into a close warm hug, "So don't worry about your big papochka, okay?"

"… Yes sir." I said, feeling oddly forced into an agreement.

The phone rang and Mom went to answer it, Daddy laid down and I sprawled out next to him, his breaths became quiet and steady, he had fallen asleep, he looked calm, and happy. The look on his face made me feel calm and happy too. I fell asleep listening to my Daddy breathing and Mom talking quietly into the phone.

"Get up Anya, we're leaving!" I heard Mom say and I felt her shaking me up.

"Nyet, Toris, I'll get her, da?" Daddy said, I felt his strong arms lift me up by my shoulders and waist.

"What's going on, Da?"

"Shhh… go back to sleep little one." I closed my eyes and I heard Mom say to Daddy, "You checked with Matthew? Darijus is still there?"

"Da, I made sure with Kat as well, da? I'm more worried about us four."

"Right… I forgot…" I heard Mom giggle quietly.

"Not now Toris," I felt Daddy take a big step, stairs is what I think it was, "Don't start fantasizing yet, wait until we get somewhere safer, da?"

_I wonder what Daddy means by that…_ I thought.

"Right… oof!"

"Toris?"

"I'm fine, I tripped. Oh! I can't leave this!" I heard Mom ran off into the distance, and Daddy turned quickly and called loudly for him, "I'm sorry Ivan, I couldn't leave it!"

"Don't worry love, what is it?" I felt their pace quicken.

"Our wedding video of course!"

"Da, it really was a beautiful day wasn't it?" I would have listened longer, but I couldn't, I felt fatigue tugging at my mind, and I allowed it to pull me under the waves of sleep that lulled me into darkness so often.

"He… what?" My father was so shocked by whatever he had just heard that he dropped me to the ground, and he even fell to is knees, "Dari-… no he couldn't have gone back…"

"Ivan! Wha- what if he tried to go back home!" Mom yelled as I tried to sit up, and I realized I was hurt by something.

_They're talking about Darijus… I wonder if he's okay, I wonder where we are, I wonder why I can't move. _I thought to myself a few times, before I felt something big move off of me.

_Beep beep_ My phone rang, the text alarm. I woke up instantly, and checked it.

"It's from Darijus!" I said, reading further.

_Can you check for me on the GPS?_

_**What's up?**_

_I went out to get something, and then it got too dark to see, and I got lost…_

_**Okay, hang on a sec**_

I turned on the GPS, and it started beeping the little blue dot that was my brother's phone.

_Ur abt twenty miles E of where I am._

_**Well where r u Anya?**_

"Hey Mom where are we?" I looked up and saw Aunt Katyusha, "Oh…"

_I'm Aunt K and Uncle M's place, start walking and I'll tell u if ur going the right way._

_**K**_

The blue dot moved a little bit in the direction of my own purple dot.

_Ur going the right way._

_**There's a huge forest in front of me!**_

_o… uhm… find a cave or something, I'll go get you!_

_**Hurry, it's rly cold out here**_

I got up and ran out the door, without hearing what Mom and Daddy were yelling at me, I just ran and ran, checking my GPS every now and then to make sure that I was still on the right path.

"Darijus!" I called. I could see quite well by now, as twenty miles turns out to be a lot further than you'd think.

I checked my phone, I was very close to his blue dot, but then my phone died, weird…

"Darijus!" I called again, looking for something out of the ordinary for a forest, like a boy sleeping in a tree or under a pile of leaves or whatever, "You here or what?"

"Anya?" I heard, I turned around a few times, and then he called again, "I can't get down!"

"Where are you?"

"Look straight up!" I did and I saw him, clinging to a branch for dear life, "A little help?"

"Da, hold on." I said, dropping my heavy winter coat, "This'll take a second, da?"

"Won't you get cold?"

"I'll be fine for a few minutes, da?" I said making my way up the tall, bald tree, "Okay I got you, what's the problem?"

"I'm afraid of falling…" He said, blushing, but he would have blamed it on the cold wind, "Can you help me down?"

"Da."

"Are Mama and Tetis following us?"

"I don't think so, but I'm not sure, da?" I said carefully climbing down next to him, letting him hold onto my shoulders as we gripped the branches and descended.

"Okay, good. I don't want them to be mad at me for getting lost…"

"I don't think that they'd be mad for that. But they will be upset with me when we get back, da?"

"Why?"

"I ran out, and I didn't tell them anything."

"Ouch, that'll do it. Jie iš proto, kad."

"Da, so I'm wondering if we can go home slow?"

"Of course." He said, jumping down the last few feet to the ground, and I followed.

"I don't believe this!" Darijus said to me quietly but with anger as we approached the cute house where our parents were, "That's Tetis' car! They didn't even come to look for us!"

"Yes they did, see the tracks? After a while, even Daddies have to rest, and take care of Mom's."

"I guess but… I still feel like they didn't try…"

We stopped at the door, not sure if we should knock, or just go in to receive our (well, 'my') punishment.

"On three, da?"

"Right."

We both counted in our parents languages.

"Vienas, du, trys"

"один, два, три" I grabbed the knob, and Darijus pushed the door open.

"…Nyet shhh Toris!" Daddy was cradling Mom with his back to us.

"But… Darijus… and then Anya just up and left and we couldn't find her!"

"Shhh, you know how those two work, if we couldn't find them, they found each other, da?"

"But what if they got more lost trying to get back?"

"Then one of them would be able to call us, da?" He said, and I heard something I had never heard, I could hear my Dad choking back tears.

"Tetis?" Darijus cooed quietly, Mom was startled and fell out of Daddy arms, and Daddy jumped very quickly, "Uh… we're back?"

"Darijus!" Mom yelled pouncing on him, "Anya!" He pulled me into a terribly tight hug, nearly choking both of us.

"I… I'm sorry I ran out like that, da? I just really wanted to get Darijus…" I said, crying a bit myself.

"Shhh, it's okay. You're both back home now, Aš taip džiaugiuosi, jums viskas gerai!"

We lived in the embrace for a few moments, and then Daddy called us both to him.

"Da?" I asked, looking up I saw a cold, emptiness in his violet eyes. He asked us to go into the other room so he could talk to us, we went, but Mom grabbed Daddy's sleeve.

"Ivan…"

"Da, I know love." He said, sighing. He walked in, and shut the door behind him.

"Daddy, please don't be mad at us-"

"Tetis Anya left because she had to come get me!"

"You two…" His eyes, suddenly changed, from the oddly heartless appearance, to a terrifying mix of fear, sorrow and… pride? "Я люблю вас обоих столько!" He fell to his knees and pulled us down with him into a crushing embrace, with our heads on either of his shoulders.

"T-Tetis?" I heard Darijus ask with a jump, I felt something on my own shoulder, and I realized that Daddy was crying onto me and my brother.

"Но разве ты все-таки, вновь!" He said, standing up grabbing us by the waists of our shirts.

"Hey Anya?" Darijus asked looking at me, "Where's your coat?"

"Huh? My co- oh gosh darnit!" I yelled, realizing I had left it in the woods somehow.

"Don't worry, da?" Daddy said, his cheeks bright red, wiping his eyes, "We'll get you a new one tomorrow."

"Why not today?"

"Today we will be very, very busy…" He said, getting very serious, "You remember what Mom and I told you last week, da?"

"Ya, about me being Alaska, right?"

"Da. Well, it would seem that many of my people are really upset at my boss and decided to try and destroy me and my family to get rid of Russia, da?"

"What?" I said loudly.

"That's why we had to leave so quickly last night. If my boss hadn't warned us ahead of time, we never would have gotten out until it was too late, da?" He said, opening the door and letting us back into the main room, where Mom had fallen asleep on the couch, "He was up all night worrying about you two, Listen to me both of you. When your Mamochka wakes up, there's something we have to tell you, da?"

"Da, okay Daddy!"

"Taip, Tetis."

"Good, now go to bed for a while okay?"

Nyet-Russian=No

Papochka-Russian=Father (Or close to that…)

Mamochka-Russian=Mother (Close…)

Jie iš proto, kad-Lithuanian=They'll be mad for that

Tetis-Lithuanian=Dad

Vienas, du, trys-Lithuanian=One, two, three

один, два, три-Russian=One, two three

Aš taip džiaugiuosi, jums viskas gerai!-Lithuanian=I'm so glad you're both okay

Я люблю вас обоих столько-Russian=I love you both so much

Но разве ты все-таки, вновь-Russian=But don't you ever do that again!


	3. No title for you!

"What?" I cried loudly when Mama and Tetis declared proudly what was to come.

"Ew!" Anya yelled, "That means that you two-"

"Da… I figured you would take it like that sweetie." Tetis laughed his deep kolkol laugh.

"You were right Ivan, perfectly right." Mama giggled, sitting on the couch.

"Yay!" Teta jumped happily, "Congratulations you two!" She said hugging my parents with pure joy shining in his deep blue eyes.

"Oui! Congrats Ivan!" Dėdė agreed, shaking Tetis' hand vigorously.

"I was actually worried about the age difference between all of our kids and the others, da?" Tetis said, "And then, consequently enough, Toris came home and told me!"

"Why were you worried, Tetis?"

"I have no idea, da?"

"Taigi mes gonna turi šiek tiek brolis ar sesuo, dabar?" I asked, staring at Mama's belly.

"Da, that's right." Tetis said, beaming brightly, he winced for a second, and he saw that I noticed but gave me a look to keep quiet, "But we don't know which yet."

"Do you even know how many there are, da?" Anya asked, looking at Mama the same way I was.

"I really hope there's only one this time." Mama said laughing softly to himself, "You two were quite a difficult task."

"Da, You slept for more than a whole day!" Tetis laughed, "Oh! I forgot, what do you two think of this?"

"Mama's is going to have a baby…" I looked at Anastasia, "I don't know…"

"Da, I agree, this is kind of weird…"

"What's the weird part?" Mama asked, adjusting the way he was sitting.

"Well…" I started, but Anya beat me to the end.

"You're old!" She said, giggling like a little child, "Old people don't have babies, da?"

"And how old do you think we are?"

"I dunno, like 50?"

"Oh you are so sweet, da?" Tetis laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"We're countries remember? We're both well over a thousand!" Mama said joining in the laughter.

"They're right Anya." Teta added, and even Dėdė Matthew was laughing at us, "Even the youngest actual country well I think that's your brother isn't it Mattie?"

"Oui, Alfred is the youngest country I believe, as he hasn't let go of Cuba yet."

"I still hate your brother Matthew, da?"

"I'm not too fond of him myself, eh?" He chuckled.

"Who is?" Mama joked.

"Who's Alfred?" I asked, "What country is he?"

"Oh you know Darijus!" Anya cooed, "He's that annoying guy with the glasses and the funny curl on his head.

"Oh right, I don't like him either…"

Everyone in the room laughed. But then someone knocked on the door.

"Hello?" The voice called, "It's Alfred, I'm here about… erm…" The door swung open.

"What do you want, da?" Tetis called, turning away from the blonde.

"I came to see if all you dudes were doing alright. I heard about the mass riot at your place, man."

"Da? Really?"

"Ya dude, we're sort of in laws, so I'm s'posed to be worried 'bout you right?" He said, with a weird look of actual concern on his face.

"Well, we're all fine so leave now, da?"

"Alright, sorry I cared." And he left, slamming the door behind him.

"Ivan, you need to get over that grudge you've got with him." Mama whispered, "At least try not to fight with him."

"I didn't even throw anything at him this time, da?" Tetis said, obviously upset.

"I know, but… at the very least, not at other people's houses?"

"Fine…" Tetis always gave in, Mama was scary when he wanted to be, but not in a particularly frightening way…

"Mama? Are you okay, da?" Anya begged of the curled up figure on the living room floor, "Mama? Why won't you answer me?" She cried, gently shaking him as if to wake him.

"Tetis?" I said quickly into the receiver of the phone.

"_Da? What's wrong, Darijus? You know I'm at a meeting right?"_ He sounded upset.

"Something's wrong with Mama! Anya and I don't know what to do!" I yelled.

First I heard what sounded like Tetis dropped the phone, _"Call Yao! He's close and he'll know how to help, I'll be there as soon as I can, da?" _Then there was a loud, violent clicking sound.

I dialed the number I had learned a few weeks ago.

"_Ni Hao! Yao speaking-"_

"Yao! Mama's hurt! I don't know what to do! Tetis said to call you because you're really close!"

"_Aiyah! I'm coming, don't worry Darijus, aru!" _He didn't hang up the phone, so I heard him tell Kiku they had to come to our house right away_, "Don't hang up the phone, okay? I want you to tell me if anything else happens, aru!"_

"Okay…" I felt my eyes watering, "Please hurry!"

"_As fast as I can, aru."_ He said, I heard the car start, I set the phone on speaker and took it into the living room, _"Where are you? What room?"_

"In the front room. He just collapsed and he's not answering us or moving really!"

"_Okay… if you two can at least get him onto your couch, that would be very good, aru."_

"Right! Come on Anya, help me out."

"Da." She took Mama's legs and I grabbed his shoulders and we (with some difficulty) hoisted him onto the couch.

"_Okay, I'm going to hang up now, but I'm pulling into your driveway, aru."_

Only a few seconds later, the front door flew open, and Yao pushed me and my sister out of the way, he then mumbled something to himself, and pulled some smelly powder and stuff from his really long and baggy sleeves.

"Ohayoo kids." Kiku said, helping us both back up, "Don't you worry okay? Toris is going to be fine, alright?"

"Promise?" I asked, looking into our friends chocolate brown eyes, "Because he looks really hurt…"

"I promise, why don't we go into another room okay?" He said, putting his hands on the backs of our shoulders and gently pushing us away from the scene, "Is there anything you want to do?"

"Can we call our aunt and uncle, da?" Anya asked.

"I think if we do that, it'll only be harder for Yao to help, we can call them later, okay?" Kiku said, trying desperately to keep us calm, I realized after a moment or two that he was wearing a very loose kimono.

"Isn't that a girl's kimono?" I asked, pointing at him, "It looks like a big dress!"

"Hm? Oh… Hai, I guess it does sort of look like a dress doesn't it?" He giggled, making me very aware of how girly a lot of our parents friends were, "There's a very good reason for it though."

"Oh? What's that?" Anya asked, her eyes lighting up.

"I think you already know little miss." He smiled brightly.

"Yay!" She cheered, and the two shared a brief hug, I didn't get it.

"What's going on?" I asked, completely freaked out.

Anastasia sighed, as did Kiku, "I'm pregnant, Darijus."

"Wait… so Mama isn't the only boy who can…"

"Nope, all male countries can, it's part of why there are so few female countries, male can reproduce without females."

"When you say it like that it sounds all sciency!" I said.

"Hm? I thought you liked science?" He joked.

"No way! I only like Language Arts and Technology!" I said back, a little defiantly. As I finished my own statement, I heard the door open again, and I heard Tetis' voice, worried, but I couldn't tell what he was saying, as I had never really taken to learning Russian.

"Don't you two worry about your mother one bit okay? Yao is the very best at anything related to healing at all."

"Is that because of the Op-"

"Shh!" Kiku's eyes got worried, "Don't talk about those! Even though it was nearly six thousand years ago, it makes him very upset to think about it, okay?"

"Sorry."

"It's alright, just be careful." He whispered, patting me on the head.

"Hey Kiku?" Anya asked, filling a tall glass with water, "How do _boys_ have babies?"

I saw something flicker in his (Admittedly kinda pretty) eyes, "Uhm… well… Maybe later you should ask your parents, I don't know if it's something you should hear from someone you aren't really related to?"

"But, Tetis says that all the countries are family, because they all came from Pangea." I said.

"Oh? Well… erm… countries are very different from the humans you go to school with, for obvious reasons..." As he tried to explain the whole concept, he was very clearly struggling with the awkward subject.

"That's really weird!" Anya said.

"I don't have to worry about that do I?" I pleaded, as if Kiku could do something about it.

"Well… er… I don't know… Territories are another story all together! It's like Alfred's states… all forty-nine of them are very different."

"Oh… so then, there's a possibility that I could, if I chose to, have a baby?" I asked, starting to warm up a little to the thought, but not really wanting it.

"Hai, but it doesn't usually happen to territories." I suddenly heard Mama's voice, weak and tired, but he was okay now.

Without thinking I ran into the living room and I saw Tetis holding Mama gently, but with the strength that he took such pride in.

"I'm fine Ivan…"

"Nyet, I'm not going to leave the house until after the baby is born, da? What if this happens again, Toris?"

"Okay..."

"You'll both be fine, aru. But it was close, do you have any idea what caused that?"

"No clue, I was hoping that you would tell me?"

"I don't know, you know what… it has been fifteen whole years since you've done this, your body might be taking it weirdly, aru…"

"You don't think that I'll have another-"

"Nyet!" Tetis said loudly pulling Mama closer and tighter against him, "That won't happen, Toris! I won't let it happen ever again, da?" Tiny tears sparkled, as they fell down his cheeks.

"No that's not the problem, aru." Yao said sitting on the floor in his custom.

"Ow, Ivan…" Mama whined, his face turning a soft pink.

"Da! Sorry!" He loosened his grip and laid Mama against the arm of the sofa.

"See I told you, Toris is fine." Kiku said putting both his hands on my shoulders, "Didn't I say not to worry?"

"You did." I answered quietly, but I pulled away from him and walked to my parents.

"Darijus?" Mama started, but I interrupted him by falling to my knees and hugging him not super tightly around the waist, above where the tiny baby should be.

"Are you sick?" I asked literally choking on sobs, "Are you going to be okay, Mama? You don't have to go to the hospital do you?"

"I'm not sick honey, I just got hurt, that's all. I don't have to go to the hospital, I'm fine, see?" But I didn't let him get up, I just kept hugging him, and I didn't let go, "Ivan, I think he might be holding me a little better than even you do!" He joked to Tetis who was being strangled by Anya's hug.

"Da? Well at least Anya can hug me around my neck! Ack!" He nudged her off, "Nevermind… not a good thing…" Everyone laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay, aru. We'll see you later you guys." Yao said, taking Kiku's hand as they walked back t their car through the (still wide open) door.

"Please?" I begged.

"Nyet."

"Oh come on Daddy!" Anya pleaded, grabbing the trail of his scarf.

"Nyet." He said again, tugging it back and wrapping the long cloth around his shoulders one more time, "You can't come to the Meeting, da?"

"Why?" I demanded of him.

"You're too young." He answered calmly, without turning around.

"We are not!" We both yelled at the same time.

"Taip, listen to your Tetis you two…"

"Please? Oh please Daddy?" Anya tried one more time, making the cute puppy face that somehow made her eyes sparkle.

"Mama? Please take us with you!" I begged, hugging him sweetly.

"…Ivan?" He looked up, "They have been very mature lately…"

"Mmmmph.." He whined, realizing he had just lost his control, "Fine, da? But don't horse around!"

"Yay!" We both cheered together, we high-fived right in front of them to let them know we had just won, yet again.

"Alright so we are going to Ludwig and Gilbert's place this month, da?" Tetis said, as we took our seats on the train, "So Anya… you'll get to see Joska, but don't flirt during the meeting, da?"

"Ivan, come now… don't mock the poor girl." Mama said, sitting down next to Tetis slowly.

"Da, I know… I'm only joking." He smiling a goofy smile, he looked like a child… weird.

The train took about an hour and we got to the Meeting Hall at about noon.

"Ah! Ivan, good to see you-" Started a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Well well! If it isn't Bragin-stinks!" interrupted the guy who I think was Joska's dad.

"Shut-up Gil-bitch." Tetis answered back, "Why don't you three go find our spots, while I catch up, da?"

"Play nice." Mama warned with a glance, and he showed us where our seats were and he talked with Uncle Ed and Aunt Ravis, so we took the hint and talked with our many, many cousins.

"Alright, everyone's here so let's begin the Meeting shall we?" Started the blond man, with a thick German accent.

I looked around and saw that everyone had a little tag in front of them, with a flag and the name of their country on it. I looked for friends and family, and I learned a lot about everyone in that second. My Aunt and Uncle who lived near us were Latvia and Estonia, the man up front with blond hair was Germany, which he shared with the man who picked fights with my father. The two men with red-ish hair and brown eyes shared the nation of Italy, Aunt Natalia was Belarus. I saw two blond men, who sat next to each other, they were holding hands but the look on the face of the one with big eyebrows and green eyes was almost hateful, Arthur and Francis, a married couple with weird issues, England and France. Kiku and Yao, as Tetis had mentioned before, were Japan and China respectively. There were also many other I didn't recognize, but couldn't wait to meet.

During the meetings break, I noticed Yao and Kiku sitting together on a little bench, cooing over something I couldn't see. Out of curiosity I walked over to them, and I saw a little baby in Kiku's arms.

"Darijus," Yao greeted me, motioning that it was okay if I came closer.

"Who's this?"

"This is Makoto Honda-Wang." Kiku said, adjusting his arms so I could see the baby better, "Isn't she kawaii?"

"Taip, she's really cute, too." They both laughed a little at my joke, "She's really quiet, I thought babies were supposed to be really loud."

"Only when they really want something, do you want to hold her?" Kiku offered.

"You think I can?"

"Sure, here sit down right here, aru." Yao said, moving over slightly.

I sat down between them, and Kiku handed me his daughter, she fussed a little when she was moved, but she opened her eyes up after a moment, and looked at me.

"She's has very pretty eyes…" I said, they were the same amber color as Yao's.

"ah?" She mewed at me, and smiled softly. She must have been born a while ago, because she reached up and tried to poke my face.

"How old is she?" I asked, giving her back to Kiku, "A month tomorrow."

"Wow, so she was born when you two left our place?"

"Not the same day, but close." Kiku giggled.

"Darius? Oh there you are!" Mama said turning the corner, "Huh? Oh! Congrats you two!" He said, seeing Makoto.

"Arigato, and you know, I should say the same to you Toris. I've only just heard." Kiku answered smiling the same cute smile as Makoto.

"Oh? But you were in the Conference room weren't you?" He asked, a little confused.

"No, I was feeding Makoto."

"Oh, that's a very nice name."

"Thank you." Yao said, "I picked it out."

"Hush." Kiku said, "Hm? I think it's time for the rest of the meeting."

"The fun part, aru!" Yao said beaming, "It shouldn't be long now, before Gilbert can barely stand being in the same room with Ivan or Ivan and Alfred, or Arthur gets upset at Francis or maybe Sadiq swoons over Heracles, aru."

"Oh! Mama I meant to ask you something!"

"Hm? What's that Darijus?"

"Why do you call him Sadiq? The little tag said his name was Adnad?"

"No I think it's pronounced Adnan, but most of us have a hard time with his name, so he's let us all just call him by his last name." He answered, as we walked back into the room, where the meeting, just as Yao had predicted, got very exciting and was brought to an immediate end.

"You know, the meeting wasn't as bad as it usually gets, I guess we owe it to Roderich for stepping in."

"I don't know, da? I swear Lovino used some new swears at Antonio… and then at Ludwig and lastly at Venniziano, da?"

"That's just Lovino for you though, Ivan."

"Da, da… you're right…" Tetis said, as he pulled the car into the driveway.

I looked outside, there was a weird guy standing near the street lamp a few houses down, but I didn't look twice.

"Okay, what do you three want for dinner, da?"

"Hmm… I would like… oh! You know that stuff that Elizabeta makes with the chowder?"

"Da…" Tetis sighed, "You want some of that?"

"Taip!" Mama giggled.

"Okay, chowder side-dish… stuff… Darijus, Anya? Anything else?"

"What about Pirozhki?" I asked.

"No way! We should have Cepelinai!" Anya said. We always confused our parents, I took after Mama in looks and Language, Anastasia after Tetis, but we swapped when it came to food preference.

"Well, Pirozhki is hard to make and takes nearly all day, so we're going to have Cepelinai tonight." Tetis decided for us, we were usually okay with whatever we had anyway.

Teta-Lithuanian=Aunt

Dėdė-Lithuanian=Uncle

Ni Hao-Chinese=Good morning

Ohayoo-Japanese=Good morning

Kawaii-Japanese=cute

Pirozhki-Russian dish

Cepelinai-Lithuanian dish


	4. Loss

"You're a really good dancer, Anya…" Joska said to me, as we swayed to the soft tune.

"Thank you, da? You're pretty good too."

"Well thank you very much, my dad made me take a dance class with him when I was ten. I actually had a lot of fun, but I bet I would have left a lot better if you were my partner, instead of Vati." He joked.

"Awww…" I blushed, I was glad for the clouds that covered the moon, making it dark.

"Thank you for taking me tonight, Joska. I really had a good time, da?"

"I'm glad. I had fun too, you're very interesting. Maybe we could hang out again sometime?"

"Like a date?"

"Uhm… if you want it to be a date I guess so…" He blushed, I guess it wasn't as dark out as I thought, and I wondered if he had seen me blush earlier.

"Da, I would like that. Maybe we could go somewhere to eat and then see a movie, da?"

"Sounds nice, I think I see your Vati, I'll see you later then?"

"Da, bye Joska." I stood there for a second, trying to decide if I should say anything else, when my best friend bumped into me and I accidentally kissed Joska's lips.

"…"

"…" I was stunned and I ran away quickly to Daddy's car.

"Did you just kiss him, da?"

"Nyet, well… da, but it was an accident!" I said, my face burning.

"Kolkol… it's alright, calm down." He waited until I buckled in, and then pulled out, I checked the clock. 11:58 pm

"That was a lot of fun Daddy…" I said, pulling off my tall boots, and spike bracelet.

"I'm glad to hear that, da? Now go to bed, okay? You'll be very tired all day if you don't, and I won't let you sleep all day, da?"

"Okay Daddy, goodnight." I hugged him and he hugged me back, and I ran to my room and fell asleep in my dress.

For a while after that Joska and I went on a lot of dates, it wasn't long before we decided to be a couple. A fact which my father did not exactly love.

"I just don't get why you chose him!" He exclaimed one day.

Mom and Darijus had left because My brother wanted to meet Mom's boss, for some weird reason.

"I like him okay! He's funny and smart, and he's really nice to me, da?"

"You just met him a month ago, da?" He said, I could sense we were both starting to get angry, and the tension in the air could have been cut with a knife, "How can you possibly think you love him?"

"How long did it take you to fall in love with Mom?" I demanded angrily.

"Irrelevant! I'm just saying it takes time for both sides to fall!" He said, standing suddenly.

"I don't care what you think!" I yelled, standing up to face him as best I could.

"Da! You are so stubborn!" He boomed.

"Well I learned from the best!" I screamed back.

"Anastasia!" He tried to warn, "You forget your place!" He started yelling at me in Russian, so it was a lot scarier.

"I haven't forgotten anything!" I cried back also in Russian.

"Anastasia Laurnaitis-Braginski, you march up to your room right now!"

"You can't make me!" I yelled, sitting down where I was, easily the biggest mistake I'd ever made.

His eyes changed, they turned cold and empty, his face drained of all emotion but anger, and he grabbed me by the shoulders of my shirt, and carried me into my room, where he dropped me heavily onto my bed, he yelled something at me in Russian, but I'd rather not say what he said.

"I hate you!" I screamed at him, as he slammed my door shut, I heard him stop when I said it, and I felt a little bad about it, but I wasn't going to take it back.

I stayed in my room for a long time, probably four or five hours, when I heard a loud crash downstairs, I paid it no mind, Daddy was clumsy. I turned on my tv, and watched the news for a while.

"This just in, the treaty has been sighed! Federal Russia's rule is done, and a new government has been born!"

I froze, Mom and Daddy had told me about what can happen to a country.

"Here comes the former President now! Let's see what he has to say!"

The camera zoomed in and the sound was clarified, "Da, da my people. Your wish has been granted! The old ways have ended, and the Federation of Russia is no more!"

"D-Daddy?" I called down to the kitchen, where the noise had come from, "Daddy, are you okay, da?"

I heard no answer, I suddenly felt a terrible sense of danger, why wasn't he answering me?

I ran downstairs into the kitchen, before I was able to stop, I tripped on him.

"Daddy!" I pushed his side. He was laying there, as if his legs had given up from right under him, and he just collapsed where he was. His cheek was bleeding, I pushed him over, onto his back, there was a tray of broken dishes under him and all around the floor, "Daddy? Are… are you okay?"

He didn't answer, I laid on him for a second, his chest did not rise or lower, I put my hand tightly on his neck, the steady beat was missing.

"Daddy! Wake up! I'm sorry!" I yelled pushing his chest back and forth, but he didn't move, his eyes were shut loosely, his mouth open slightly enough to look like he was asleep, but he wasn't, and I knew it.

"Anya! Ivan! We're home!" Mom called walking in the front door, he heard me sobbing in the kitchen, and ran to where I was, "Anya! What hap- IVAN!" He dropped everything in his hands and fell to his knees at Daddy's side.

"I don't know what happened, da?" I choked out, "We got in a fight, then just a while ago, I heard glass stuff break, and I checked the news, the Russian Federation is over!"

"That means that… NO!" Mom dropped onto Daddy's chest and wept.

I was scared, Daddy was the strong one, but even he broke down, then it was Mom's turn, but… he was showing painful weakness, I didn't know what to do, so I stayed where I was and cried next to my mother.

"Hey, what's going on?" Darijus called, he heard us and walked slowly into the kitchen, "What the hell happened?"

"Darijus…" I stood and hugged him tightly, "Daddy… Daddy's… he's…" Darijus looked down and saw him before I could finish.

He looked like he was going to cry, but he tensed, and tightened the grip on my shoulders, "Shhh…." He consoled me, and ran his hand down my back.

"He's gone Darijus…" I cried into his shoulder, "He's gone…"

"Hush… I've got you, you're alright."

"The last thing I said to him… was that I hated him…" I yelled, "I didn't mean it!"

"I know… it's fine…" He held me, "He knows too, he knows that you love him very much."

"Ivan…" We let go of each other and we saw Mom sitting on his knees, one hand under Daddy's side, holding him up to Mom's chest, and the other under Dad's neck holding his head up, "Ivan… I love you…" He whispered into Daddy's ear, and nuzzled his face.

"I'm so sorry Toris…" Aunt Kat said, hugging Mom tightly.

"Anya?" Joska approached me, "Do… er… you wanna talk?"

"Joska!" I fell into his chest, "I…"

"Shhh… you'll be okay…" He said, holding me.

"I… I don't think I will…" I whispered, I felt myself shaking a lot, and I realized I was sobbing dryly.

"I'm here, let it all out…" He cooed, softly.

After that, there wasn't really much to the funeral, I cried silently and waited in the car, because I couldn't bear to watch the men bury my father, I just couldn't do it.

A few days after the funeral, Mom went into depression, he rarely got up in the morning and wore pajamas all day if he did. A lot of people visited often, and helped us take care of stuff that needed done, but Darijus and I took care of Mom on our own.

That's pretty much how everything went for a long time, but one morning Mom woke us up with a loud, painful cry.

We both ran into the room, and found him lying on the bed curled up, with his arms put around his now really huge stomach.

"Mom? Are you okay?" I asked him, rolling him over enough to look into my eyes.

"Call… the… doctor…" He whispered breathlessly. I did as I was told, and a few minutes later Dr. Mindaugus pulled in and walked right into the bedroom.

"What?" Mom yelled, nearly four hours of straining and screaming, and the baby was born dead, "No… why does shit like this always happen to us, Ivan?" He rolled his head and saw only me and my brother, and he looked like he wanted to die then and there.

"I'm sorry Toris…" the doctor mumbled, "Do you need anything?"

"No… I want it buried by Ivan."

"Hm?"

"The baby, bury it near Ivan, okay?"

"I can arrange that for you, Toris." He said, bowing his head with a slight smile, I think it was of some sort of pity.

"Thank you…" Mom whispered, falling asleep into the pillows.

Vati-German=Dad


	5. A New Federation?

One year later

"Wow! That's so wonderful Anya!" I heard Joska congratulate my daughter when she entered the room.

"Da, thank you!" She took the compliment without a hitch, as she should, it is a big deal when a territory becomes a country, and Darijus was well on his way, just a few more signings and he was a brand new nation as well. I was very proud of them both.

We started the meeting as usual, this month we were at Roderich's place, which made Gilbert very upset, as he still was getting over the fact that Elizabeta left him for Roderich.

"So to conclude- Hello, please don't lurk in the doorway."

"Oh… I'm sorry! I hope I'm not interrupting, da?" I froze, I knew I just imagined that 'da?' I knew it, "May I come in?"

"Of course, but we'll need a name." Roderich said, then he made a strange expression that forced everyone to look and see who he was talking to.

The man was tall, he wore a long winter coat, his eyes were deep royal violet, his hair was a little lower than his ears, and white as snow, he had somewhat of a big nose, but not huge, he wore a nervous smile and a sunflower pin.

"Da… eheh… my name is Ioann…" He said, noticing that everyone was staring at him, he panicked, "Is something wrong, da? Maybe I'm in the wrong place! I'm terribly sorry! I'm looking for the Conference of the World Nations, da? Can anyone point me that way?" He asked, with a seriously freaked out look on his face…

"No, you're in the right place…" Someone said after a long, awkward silence, "What country are you?"

"Huh? Oh! I'm the New Federation of Russia, da?" He said standing in a perfect military style, "I was just signed and created a few weeks ago, da?" He smiled cutely, the same sweet smile that I had loved so very, very much.

I turned away, and prayed silently, please let him see me! Please let him see me!

"Uhm… we don't have any place for you to sit right now…" Elizabeta said, "So you'll have to stand for a few minutes until we're… until we're done…"

"Oh I don't mind at all! Thank you, da?" He said in a bubbly tone, _his_ tone.

"Sure…" The meeting ended soon after, but no one really was sure what they were saying anymore, so we just sort of adjourned.

"Hey, Toris?" I heard Ravis call me, "You alright? You look really… flustered."

"I'm fine, that new guy… gave me quite a start…" I said a little embarrassed.

"You want me to drive you home? I think maybe you're not ready to drive right now."

"That's really sweet of you Ravis, but I think I'd just have Darijus or Anya drive."

"Well, alright… oh! I almost forgot! Ed and I are going to throw a party for Anya, okay… I'm throwing a party for Anya, and Ed's helping… any idea when would be a good time?"

I was about to answer him, when the new country backed into me, and pushed me over on top of Ravis.

"Da! I'm so sorry!" He cried suddenly, and pulled both of us up in a single graceful movement, "Are you hurt? Do either of you need anything, da?"

"No… don't worry about it…" Ravis said, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Da? Are you hurt? You… you look like you've been hurt, da? Please, let me help you if you're hurt!"

"I'm fine… it's just that, well you look very familiar to me, that's all…" I said, "And… well that person… he died about a year ago…"

"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that…" he bowed his head very low, and he stood up straight as if he were about to say something else when.

"New Russia!" Came a strict voice, and Ioann turned around immediately, "Attention!"

"Da sir!" His frame switched from the kind casual posture to a harsh military one, as he had earlier.

"Have you gained any intelligence on the other nations?"

"Nyet sir, they all appear to be very shy in the presence of me."

"Do you know why?" The brute demanded.

"Nyet sir." Ioann answered in a frightened tone.

"Hmm… very well, for your failure, you will go tonight without rations."

"Da sir…" His shoulders fell slightly, but he quickly moved them back.

"I want you to get back quickly, you must continue your training. Today I'm increasing your pace."

"Da sir…" The Russian man, who I assumed to be Ioann's boss, left pushing past Ravis shoulder roughly.

"Hey… was that your boss?" Ravis asked shaking a bit.

"Da…" he said turning around, with a rather pathetic look on his face.

"And… he's considering today a failure?" I asked, a little appalled.

"Da… I guess so…" He looked upset, then he looked up and saw the looks on our faces, "But, don't worry about me, da? I'm used to the harsh treatment! I'll be fine!"

"If you're sure…" He looked up at me, and made an odd face, "Is something wrong?"

"You… seem familiar too… please, what is your name?"

"My name is Toris, I'm Lithuania."

"Oh? I've seen you before! You and those two teenagers, da?"

"Oh? You've seen Anya and Darijus?" I asked, "Well we do still live in Moscow… Oh!"

"What's wrong?"

"I just thought of this, you're Russia aren't you? So your home is Moscow!"

"Da…"

"Well, I'm in your house! Do you need a place to stay?"

"Well… Nyet… not really."

"Do you live with your boss?"

He jumped and put his arm up, as if to block himself from some attack, "H-how did you know that, da?"

"It was just a guess! Most new countries live in the same house as their boss for a little while, and as I'm in your house, you'd have to of course."

"Well…"

"If you need a place to stay, there's an empty bed at my place in Moscow. What's more we wouldn't deny you food."

"Da? Maybe I could come over later today?"

"Absolutely! Your boss seems like a real-"

"Toris!" Ravis said grabbing my wrist, "We don't want to hear whatever it is that you think of that man."

"Da… I agree with you…" Ioann pointed at Ravis, "Uhm… who are you, by the way, da?"

"My name is Ravis, I am Latvia. My husband is Eduard, he's Estonia, we're currently working on a signing to make us one country."

"Da? It must be nice to have someone to share a country with…" Ioann said, I started to notice that many others were starting to crowd around, but he didn't seem to see them, or care, "I really envy those Italy brothers, and the Germany brothers as well, da? That way, they don't have to be alone… Being alone is the worst…" He mumbled sadly.

"Well, if you keep coming to these meetings, you don't have to be alone." I heard Katyusha say.

"It won't be that easy, Miss." He said, bowing in thanks, "If my boss decides I'm not learning anything about the other nations, I won't be able to come back, da?"

"That's terrible!" Gilbert said, surprising, because he was normally so quiet when at the meetings, "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, Mr. Germany…"

"Call me Gilbert." He said, holding out his hand.

"Hm?" Ioann questioned tilting his head, not understanding the gesture.

"Nevermind… Anyway, Kat's right! Just keep coming to meetings like this as often as you can!"

"If you have to learn stuff about us, we'll just tell you what you need to know!" Venneziano said brightly.

"I agree with Veni-san!"

"Aiyah newbie… all you had to do was ask us about our nations, aru. You could have told us your situation, and we would have helped you no questions asked, aru!"

"Really? Wow! You all are so nice, da? My boss told me to be careful because other nations were cruel, da?" He laughed quietly, I actually felt my heart break_ kolkolkol_.

"Please excuse me… I have to go now, come on you two." I said looking at the twins.

"Da, okay. Goodbye Toris!" He said, waving goodbye.

"Bye Ioann!" I turned to Darijus and whispered, "You're driving."

"Alright."

"So you two thought that was weird too, right?"

"Da."

"Taip."

"Okay, good… I thought I was being weird, especially since everyone else seemed so casual when we left.

_Ding dingy ding_ the doorbell rang.

"Hello?" I answered, Ioann stood at the doorstep.

"Da, I'm not here about the extra bed, I wondered if I could visit a little while?"

"Ce-certainly, come on in…" I stepped out of the way, and noticed that he was holding something, "What's that?"

"Well… I learned about your daughter becoming a country, so I got her a little gift… I hope that's okay, da?"

"Mama, who is it?"

"Hm? Mama?" Ioann looked at me, "Ohh… I see now… I was a little confused earlier, but now I think I understand, da?"

"Well, come in, please." I said, motioning him to come in, "Anya, Darijus! Come on downstairs you two!" I called.

"Da, I'm coming Mom." Anya called, and Darijus was already in the front room.

"Oh? Hi there!"

"Hello…" Ioann seemed very shy, "Congratulations on becoming a country, Miss."

"Oh? Thank you, da?"

"Hm? Are you Russian?"

"Da, my Daddy was the old Federal Russia."

"Da? I'm sorry for what happened…" He stepped back nervously.

"Don't worry Ioann, you had no control, just as he had no control either." I said, surprised at how easy it was for me to talk about, not only Ivan, but his death.

"Da? Oh! Here you are Miss, I brought a gift for you."

"Hm? For what occasion?"

"Becoming a country is no easy task, and shouldn't be taken lightly, but it should also be celebrated! So I got you something I think you like."

"Thank you very much, da?" Anya said, bowing like Ivan had taught her, taking the small package and opening it gingerly. "Wow! Thank you very much!"

She held it up for me and Darijus to see, it was a pair of black, strap heels.

"Wow, they're really cool!" I said, "Try them on hun."

"I have the receipt if they don't fit." Ioann said, pulling a little tag out of his pocket.

"Wow, you're very kind, da?" Anya said clasping the straps around her ankles, "They fit perfectly!"

"I'm very glad that's so!" Ioann said happily, "I'm very happy to have met you all, but I have to go, da?"

"Oh, why must you leave so soon?" Anya asked.

"My boss will be back soon, so I have to go and get home before he does, da?"

"Won't he understand, if you're hanging out with other countries?" Darijus asked him, standing near the tall man.

"Hmm… You all seem like people I did know… but I'm afraid I can't think of how I would know you…"

"Well, I guess if you really have to leave…"

"Da, I'm sorry… goodbye." He waved and left, I watched out the window to see if he had driven, or at least hailed a taxi, but no… he started running, I watched him for a while, before I felt Anya patting my shoulder.

"Huh? What's wrong, Anya?" I asked, then she gave a little smirk, "What?"

"You like him…" She giggled.

"Ridiculous! I barely know him, besides, I could only ever love your father."

"He's just like Tetis though." Darijus agreed, "His face, his voice, even his laugh!"

"Even all the way down to the way he walks and stands, the shape and size of his shoulders, the way he smiles and the shape of his nose."

"Even the sparkle in his eyes!" Darijus agreed.

"Listen to me right now, both of you!" I demanded, "That man is nothing like your father! There is not, nor ever will there be, _anything_ between us! Got it?"

"Yes sir…" They both whined together.

I sighed, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell… I'm just flustered after today…"

"It's okay, we're not exactly certain of everything right now either." Anya said, grabbing my arm and pulling Darijus and I into a tight hug, "I don't think anyone is…"

"I thin-" The phone ringing interrupted me, I looked at my kids, who let go of me so I could get the loud object, "Hello?"

"_Hiya Toris…"_

"Natalia? Is something wrong? You sound upset."

"_No, well yes… well, no actually it's not bad… but I'm not sure what to do… Do you think I could come over?"_

"Sure! Why not? Come on over whenever you can."

"_Great… thank you, I'll be there shortly."_ I heard her phone click.

"Anya, Darijus! Natalia is coming over, so clean up a bit, okay? I'm going to put something on the stove, I want the living room clear!"

"I got it, Mama!"

"Da, Mom. We'll get it done da?"

I heard the two of them start adjusting things, probably pillows and the angle of the couch, which they were always changing.

"Wow… that's really a lot to think about, Nat." I said, after having heard her, pretty long, story.

"What should I do? I mean… he's annoying and brutish, but… he's also funny and sweet…"

"Want do you _want _to do?" I asked her, "I mean… I can hug you, and listen, but only you can decide on an action."

"That only helps me know someone's there!" She said, whining into the little pillow she always had when she came over here, as she only stayed when she needed to be consoled, "I really _want_ to take him up, but… I'm worried about him… he's just so… so…"

"Childish?"

"Irresponsible more like. I wouldn't know what to do… I know it's not _completely _obvious, but I'm totally paranoid…" She said sarcastically, "I don't think I could enjoy myself if I thought he was going to get into any trouble…"

"Well, as much as I don't like Alfred, and as childish as he is, he can be incredibly grown up when he's serious about something. From the way you've described how he asked you, he's very serious about it. I think that you should give him a chance."

"You think so? Okay, I was thinking that too, I just wanted to make sure someone else thought it would be a good idea."

"I think it's your decision, Nat." I said, offering her a friendly hug, as we had so often shared way back when, when I was just a protectorate of Russia.

"Thanks so much Toris…" She said, taking my offer, "I sometimes think it's a little weird, but you're the _only_ person I would ever go to with stuff like this."

"Why's that weird?"

"Well, you _are _a man."

"Well, as a man, I've also been pregnant three times." I found myself able to giggle at the thought, which startled Natalia a great deal, "Huh…"

"Wow, you're tougher than you look." She said, "I don't think I'd ever be able to so much as think about it, let alone make a little joke about that sort of thing."

"I don't get it either…" I said, pondering it for another moment before giving up, "Well, is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"Well… I hadn't come here to ask, but I might as well… What's your opinion on the Ioann guy?"

"Well, he dropped by earlier, and gave a gift to Anya for becoming a country."

"Oh?"

"Yes, and he gets a little nervous quite easily, and he panics about little things. He also is very shy, he … don't tell the twins I said this… he reminds me a lot of Ivan…" I said nervously.

"Okay, I'm glad you said that, I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one who thought that." She said, making a slightly embarrassed expression, "You know, I met up with him a while ago, he looked like he was scared of something…"

"Probably his boss… that new president is a real-"

"Stop before you say something no one wants to hear…"

"Damn, no one's letting me say what I'm thinking today…" I joked, "You know… Maybe we ought to invite him to a something or other sometime soon."

"What kind of 'something or other' do you have in mind?" She asked, mocking me kind of cutely.

"I'm not sure… maybe just a little get together or something like that." I asked.

"Sounds nice, we should talk to the others about it, I'm almost sure that they'd agree."

"You think so?"

"Yes I do!" She said excitedly, "Okay, I love hanging out with you, Toris, but I think I'm going to go give my answer to Alfred now. Bye!"

"See you around." I waved goodbye to her, and went up to check on Darijus and Anya, who were trying to kill each other on some stupid game.

Ioann-Russian variant of Ivan (I feel clever)


	6. To The Hosptial! Twice

"Ohhh…" I moaned, I could feel something sharp and cold, poking into my side, not cutting me, but it hurt a little.

I rolled my head, as I couldn't move the rest of me, I saw my son lying in the passenger seat, bleeding, his legs at an odd angle, completely unconscious.

"Jo-…Joska!" I said, my voice dry and unused, I moved my arm desperately, but I could not will myself to so much as budge.

But, eventually, I freed my arm enough to pull my phone from my pocket. I could barely see the dial pad, I held down 1, and clicked for speaker.

"**Hello, this is Roderich, what do you want, Gilbert?"**

"Emph… Rod… I… I crashed my car… I need some help… ah!"

"**What! Where are you?" **

"I… hang on…" I strained to roll my head back, "I'm actually-ah!- pretty close to… to your place."

"**Wait… are you… are you **_**in**_** Austria?"** He asked.

"Ja, I think so… ohhh… think you could… could get someone to help me outta of this?"

"**Ja, ich werde da sein!"** He said, quickly in German.

"Danke…" I heard his phone click, and not more than a few minutes later, I heard a car drive up.

"Gil?" I heard the familiar voice, "Gil are you still awake?"

"Ja…" I said weakly, "Did you call someone?"

"Ja… are … are you hurt badly anywhere?"

"Nein, Joska might be though…" I turned to point with my head.

"Ja!" I saw him run around the front of the car, and I heard a softer voice.

"Gilbert?" She said, I turned slightly to see her, "Gilbert what happened?"

"Elizabeta?" My voice was still sore and weak, I looked at her for a second, but then my eyes got heavy, and darkness covered her face and everything else.

"Sh! See? He's up." I heard someone mutter quietly.

"Big bruder?" I heard Ludwig's tough voice break through my fatigue.

"Ugh… What happened?"

"You crashed you car, and then I-" Roderich started but I interrupted him by jumping out of the bed and looking around me frantically.

"Joska!" I opened the door and quickly realized I didn't know where I was going, "Where is he?" I demanded of the first person who approached me.

"Get your hands off of me!" She said, very barely resisting smacking me in the face.

"Huh? Elizabeta? I'm sorry!" I let go of her shoulders, which I had apparently grabbed in my rush to find my son, "Ah!" I dropped, and instinctively put my hands over my left side.

"Gil!" I heard my little brother shout from just inside the room, he moved quickly, "You big idiot." I was in a lot of pain, so I allowed him to pick me up and put me back in the hospital bed, "You're **supposed** to stay in the bed." He chuckled at me, but I could hear in his voice he was worried.

"Where's Joska?" I asked him, as my side let go of the sharp tension, "Is he okay?"

"Ja, he'll be fine, his leg is broken, and he'll have to stay a few more days, but he's fine."

"Joska…" I heard Elizabeta question the Hungarian name, "Is that.."

"Ja… since when do you care about him?"

I turned from her, but the quick glance I got before I looked away, I could see my remark had hurt her.

"What makes you think I don't care?" She ordered.

"You've never visited him, never sent a gift or card on his birthday, never so much as shown any interest of any kind, I doubt he even knows you're his Mutti."

"How can you say that?" She yelled at me.

"How can _you_ sleep at night? Knowing that you've allowed your hatred of me, to deny Joska of his own mother?"

I heard her whimper, and then I heard her run out of the room.

"Gil… that was harsh…"

"She needed to hear it." I said, no feeling in my voice.

"I agree, but…" Ludwig answered, but was cut off.

"No, he's right…" Roderich interrupted, "She did need to hear that. I think that pointing it out to her like that was the only way she would have realized it too."

"Stop running Anya!" Came a voice from the hall, "Darijus, go get her before she gets herself lost."

"Right." I saw a tall flash of long silky white and then another, slightly shorter young man walk by the door quickly, chasing after the first, which I soon recognized to be Anastasia. A second later, Toris stopped in front of the door, hands on his knees, catching his breath as best he could.

"That's not what I meant!" He called after his children, he then turned and entered the room, "So… what's up?" He asked casually, as if none of that had just happened.

"Besides the fact that both me and Joska are in the hospital? Not much, really. You?" I joked at him.

He smiled and chuckled softly. I realized, as I had spent a lot of time with him lately, that I hadn't seen him smile since Ivan had died, it was refreshing to see he was starting to heal.

"You know very well what I meant by that, you ridiculous brat." He laughed at me.

"Ja. I'm alright, just can't walk or anything."

"And Joska?"

"I don't have ein clue."

"Oh, he's a tough kid, I'm sure he's fine." He smiled again, "Hm? Ludwig, where's Venneziano? It seems a bit odd that he isn't here with you."

"Ja, he's at home with Teddy. He's always been a bit of a baby, but hospitals freak him out too much."

"Ah, how is Teodora doing?" Toris asked, and a new conversation started, one much lighter in nature and soothing.

"She's doing very well, actually. Veni was really worried when she started getting as sick as she did, but she's been recovering well."

"That's good to hear."

"I'll tell her you asked." My brother said, giving his half-smile.

We must have had casual conversation for quite a long time, because when a nurse came to see everyone out, I noticed it was already almost midnight.

"Mr. Beilshmidt?"

"Ja?" I asked.

"Tomorrow, you'll be let out, but your son has to stay for at least another week, would you like us to book you a place in the hotel nearby?"

"Ja… please."

"Very well, it will be paid for as part of your medical fee by your insurance."

"Danke… oh!"

"Yes?"

"By any chance could you get me some pain killer that can help me get some sleep?"

"Yes, of course, but your doctor wants to see to you before you doze off, and I don't want to be responsible for putting a country to sleep."

"Ja… I understand." I watched the nurse for a moment as she left, and I saw something outside the door, just sticking out from the frame slightly, "Elizabeta?"

"…"

"You can come in. I'm sorry I yelled earlier."

"But you were right…" She said, taking a step into the door, "I went to visit him earlier… and he didn't know anything about me except that I'm Hungary-"

"If you're so hungry, maybe you should eat." I joked trying to make her smile, it worked.

"Gil, I'm trying to be serious!"

"Aw… but you're so much cuter when you're smiling." I said, before I realized it, and my face burned for a moment, "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be, Rod doesn't give me compliments like that unless I ask him to." She sighed, stepping closer and sitting in the little recliner that was always by the bed, "Hey… can I… ask you something?"

"You just did." She stared at me, a little irritated, "Ja, go on."

"What's he like?" She looked at me for a moment, and then out the window at the moon, "Is he a good kid?"

"Ja, he's… uhm… well he's…" I stopped, she turned to look at me, and turned away as she realized I was staring at her a little, "He's a lot like you, really."

"What do you mean?"

"He's… really strong! But he absolutely hates fighting, he's the kind of kid who can pay attention, and be able to give an opinion. He can change his voice depending on the situation, but he doesn't mean to, he's smart, and creative. He loves to draw, and write, and he's really good at it too."

"Wow…" She said after a second or two, "And… that's like me?"

"Ja, almost a perfect match, except a few obvious differences, and that's where I come in."

"What are they?"

"He gets really nervous around girls…" I started, my cheeks burning again, "He can get really angry, really quickly over nothing, he can be convinced of something as long as it benefits him, and occasionally… he can get a little narcissistic." I said, sighing lightly.

"Hm… I bet there are parts that are just him though, right?"

"Ja, he picked up German pretty easily, and he's spent most of his life learning other languages, like he learned Russian for Anastasia, Lithuanian because he took a bet with Darijus, French because he wanted to show off to some of Matt's kids, Italian and Spanish, and then, without telling me why, though I assume it's because he figured out it's that of his name, he's learning Hungarian. He's also spent a few years on some of the Eastern languages, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, he's been studying some of the eastern European ones as well, Latvian, Estonian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, and some Netherland languages as well."

"Wow, he's really good."

"Ja, he's only fluent in German, Russian, and Italian though."

"Oh… I guess that's because of you, Veni and Anya?"

"Ja, you know what?"

"What?" She asked looking up at me.

"Néha úgy érzem magam, mint az, hogy együtt vagyunk." I waited for her to respond, but she did not. I looked at her for a moment, before I realized I had just said it in Hungarian, and I had said it wrong.

"Wh- what?"

"Crap! I said that wrong, I swear." I tried to cover up.

"What did you mean to say then?" She asked, blushing brightly, something glittering in her emerald eyes that I couldn't quite place.

"I meant **Néha úgy érzem magam, mint a gyerekek összetartozó**,"I tried to fix, saying it again in Hungarian, to show the slight difference where my tongue had slipped.

"Oh… okay, listen, I have to go… it was nice to talk to you, without all the… angry… yelling and stuff…"

"Ja… see you later Liz." I said, closing my eyes, trying to let the temporary peace of slumber wash over me, instead, what I felt was a tender pair of lips kiss me softly on my forehead, "Liz?"

Before I could say anything else, she ran out of the room, and a doctor entered in her place.

"Good evening Mr. Beilshmidt."

"Hallo…" I said, "Have you –"

"Before you ask, ja."

"Oh?"

"And he's doing fine, you really ought to listen to you younger brother more."

"Ja… I know, he's right a lot more than I am anyway…"

He did a normal check up, making sure I could move my legs and arms normally, and then he gave some of the meds I had asked for earlier. I took them greedily, wishing desperately that I could dream.

In my dreams, I was invincible. In my dreams, Elizabeta never had to leave.

"Hm?" I nudged him awake gently, it was almost eleven-fifty, and I would have to leave soon, "Oh… Good morning Vati…"

"Morning Joska. How are you feeling?"

"That's a dumb question."

"Oh? Do you hurt badly?"

"It's a dumb question, because I'm AWESOME!" He said loudly with a huge smile.

_Add that to the list of things that are like his mother…_ I thought to myself, as I smiled back at him and rustled his hair.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." I said, "Listen, you're gonna be in here for another week or so, but I'm going to stay in town until you're out. Is that alright with you?"

"Ja, danke Vati." He said quietly, rolling into his crisp clean pillow, falling back to sleep.

"See you later, Joska."

(Okay, that's all the fluff I can add in one chapter. BACK TO THE DRAMA!)

Darijus' POV

"Hey… You need to get up already…"

"Mama… I'm exhausted," I moaned, shooing his soft hand off of my shoulder.

"I am enticed to remind you that I know three fighting styles, each one I used to pin Ivan to the ground and kept him there for at least four minutes.

"I'm up!" I said, opening my eyes and sitting up quickly to realize I was in the car still, "Where are we?"

"We just got home, it's almost seven in the morning."

"Wow… Vienna sure is far away, huh?"

"Yes, yes it is." I slowly got up, and stretched my arms, I took a few steps, and then my legs started catching up with the rest of me.

"Hey Mama?" I asked, noticing he was a little slower about walking towards the house, "Are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh… taip I'm fine love… Go on in, I'll be there in a little bit." He waved at me, smiling sadly.

"Okay…" I watched him for a second, but he didn't move, so I went ahead inside, where I tripped onto the couch and fell asleep immediately.

Toris

I looked up at the pale clouds, and started talking out loud.

"Ohh… What is it with all of us older nations that we just can't learn from the past?" I asked no one in particular, "Many of us can't wrap our heads around those two new kids, well okay… _I _can't wrap my head around those kids…"

"Maybe you've just gotten used to the way the world used to be."

"Who said that?" I asked, looking around to find whoever it was, "Show yourself!" I pulled out the small knife I always carried in the pocket on my jeans.

"Alright, alright, just put the knife down, okay?" I did as was asked, the voice was familiar, but smoother than that of anyone I knew, "Better?"

"Who are you?" I asked of the tall skinny blond who stepped out from behind the corner of my house.

"My name is Grigori, and you're pointing that knife at my throat again." He said, in what I now realized was a perfect West Russian accent.

"Wh- why are you here?"

"Well, this is Moscow is it not?"

"It is… you didn't answer my question."

"I am the Democracy of Russia, you see for whatever reason my brother and sister can't keep their own people from hating their new governments, so I was created. They just don't talk about me to anyone but me."

"Hmm… You look like-"

"You don't have to tell me who I remind you of. I have done quite a bit of research on my neighboring nations, Toris." He said calmly, he opened his eyes, they were dark brown. With his pale yellow hair, and those eyes, he almost looked like a sunflower, "I also understand that you have been given the task of reuniting the Russian provinces, I would rather like to help you, if that's alright with you."

"Why do you want that?"

"I'm sure you've noticed in your past thousand or so years of being forced to live with my predecessor, that my lands are very infertile, and food is scarce, so if the three of us become one nation again, we can share our land and our people will be able to eat most of the year around."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Next week is a World Conference Meeting, my sister, brother and I will be attending at three separate nations, you will see then what you need to understand."

"Understand what?" I asked, pushing him against the wall, with the small knife held closely to his throat.

"I understand that recently you were able to communicate with your late husband, however due to… unfortunate circumstances, he can no longer appear to you, correct?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Did he not tell you that we Russia's are part of him? Allow me to… clarify. He said 'part of' not copies, meaning that, each of us is one portion of Ivan, you could say that the three of us are his split personalities." He said, coolly, "When you see and speak to the three of us at once, you will recognize what I mean."

He leaned in and kissed me.

"AGH!" I jumped, looking around I realized I was lying in my bed, covered warmly.

I heard rapid footsteps down the stairs above my room, and before too long Darijus was in my room, on the bed next to me, "Are you okay?"

"I… there was… what… but… and then I…" I calmed down for a second, beginning to figure out it was just a dream, and said again, "I'm fine… I've been having some nasty dreams lately, huh?"

"Da, I should say so. Seeing as how violently you've been waking up this past month, da?" Anya said, sitting next to me on the other side of the bed, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"I guess so…" I said rubbing my forehead, "… What day is it?"

"Thursday, why?" Darijus said.

"Crap!" I hopped up and started to change out of my night shirt into something clean, and I realized, "… I've only got my boxers on, don't I?"

"I'm… I'm just going to go now, da? See you later Mom…"

"Oh quit your whining! You've seen me with less on!" I shouted jokingly.

"Doesn't mean I wanted to!" She called back going upstairs.

"Hey get dressed, there's a meeting later today, and I slept in a little bit." I said, shooing Darijus out, who also being a guy, wasn't even slightly bothered.

"Kay, see you in a bit."

"So… you're Kamile?" I asked of the young lady who was standing next to me.

"Da, what's it to you?" She looked me in the eyes, "T-Toris?" Her eyes lit up slightly.

"Oh hey, Toris!" Ravis called me, with Eduard trailing closely behind, "I was hoping to-" He stopped, Ed crashing into him from behind.

"Are you okay?" I asked, helping the two of them to their feet, with Kamile following closely behind me.

"…"

"…"

"What's wrong you guys?" I turned around and saw the expression on Kamile's face.

Her eyes were cold and within them stirred a familiar sense of terror, without warning of any kind, I began shaking I turned to get some help from Ravis or Ed, but they were both shaking as I was. Ravis even had small tears building up.

"What's wrong with the three of you?" She asked sharply, a strange aura seeming to gather around her, as if the air itself were being replaced with evil.

"…uhhmm…"

"Toris!" I heard a very sweet childish voice called, "And Kamile too! I'm glad to see you've met already, da?"

"Ioann, are these your friends?"

"Da, they are." He said smiling brightly.

"These are the Baltic nations you told me about? Look at them! They're shaking just looking at me! Either the New Empire of Russia is way stronger by appearance than I thought, or these _strong_ countries are weaker than the Old Federation-"

"What the heck was all of that, Toris?" Ed yelled, picking me up, by putting my arm over his shoulders.

"What was what?" I asked, dizzily, putting my hand up to my head, "How did I get down here? Where did Kamile go? I wanna give her a piece of my mind!"

"You already did, da? You slapped my sister when she called the Old Federation weak…"

"I did?"

"Yes! It was… kind of awesome…" Gilbert said stepping from behind me, with a slight limp.

"Was it? I can't remember it at all…" I said, getting and rubbing a bruise on my temple, "ah!"

"Da… I've never seen anyone stand up to Kami like that! Not even her boss, da?" Ioann seemed uplifted by the idea, "Anyway… I'm wondering… she really seemed to like you right away huh?"

"Taip… kinda did seem that way… hey…"

"What?"

"Why is the wall spinning like that?"

"Okay you're going to the doctor…" Ravis said grabbing my arm and dragging me.

"Why?"

"Because you're getting dizzy." He answered shortly, "Now come on."

"Where are we going?" I asked, "Can I get something to eat?"

"Sure… Let's go, come on…."

"Lithuania!" I heard the familiar voice shout, not happily… as if I were in trouble.

"Russia, sir!" I called back, fearfully.

"You're late! You worthless swine!" He slapped me, and I fell to the ground, bleeding from my mouth.

"Forgive me master! I did not mean to make you wait!" I pleaded hopelessly.

But his eyes were empty of all but hate and malice. He grabbed me by the collar of my uniform, the dark green beginning to stain the dark scarlet red of my blood, he slammed me against the wall.

"It won't happen again sir! I swear!"

"Da, it won't." He threw me harshly to the ground, suddenly the room grew dark, with only a single beam of light, which shone evilly on his eyes, aside from that there was just enough light to see his body as he moved to attack me with the metal pipe he kept as his main weapon.

"Sir!" I cried as he relinquished his onslaught, "Stop!"

"Has Lithuania learned his lesson?"

"Da!" I begged, on my knees.

"Good." He grabbed me again by the collar and tossed me mercilessly onto his bed, where he stripped me completely naked, and then did the same to himself, only… less violently.

"Russia! Don't! Please stop!" I yelled as he put himself over the top of me, and tied my hands to the bed frame with his scarf.

"I am making sure the lesson stays with you Lithuania, if you resist it will only be worse." The light still remained on his eyes, no matter how he moved. And he moved quite a bit. Forcing himself in and out of me, ignoring my please to cease, silencing my cries for help, eventually I blacked out, but not for long, as he slapped me awake and continued the 'treatment'.

He would force me to wake each time I passed out, only punishing me by getting faster and harder, not stopping unless I faded out.

"AGH!" he cried out as I kicked him to get him off of me. He leaned way back and I managed to roll away from him. I grabbed my clothes before he could grab me and I ran back to the room I shared with Ravis and Eduard.

"Toris!" Ravis said when he saw me, naked, shaking in terror, "What the hell happened to you?"

"Russia…" I said weakly.

"No…"

"He didn't!"

"Taip… I sort of… kind of… kicked him and ran…"

"How did-"

"I don't know!" I said, starting to get hold of what was happening, "I guess he was done already anyway…"

"That's terrible!"

"AAGHHHHH!" I jumped awake, terrified by my nightmare.

I looked around, everything was odd at first, but then I realized I was at a hospital, "It was just… just an old memory… but I remember it so vividly…" I slowly fell back asleep, and remembered another, far more endearing moment with my big Russian.

"AHh!" I heard him scream angrily from the small cabin outside, "LITHUANIA!"

*Oh God what have I done this time?* I thought as I raced out to see what he wanted.

"What's that?" He pointed at a small stem about four or five inches tall.

"I don't believe it…" I mumbled.

"What?" He asked, bending down to the little plant.

"It's… it's a sunflower." I said, squatting next to him.

"It doesn't look like a flower…" He said, tilting his head in obvious confusion.

"Not yet, but it will be, one day it will be about this tall, and it will look like the sun."

"Really?" He got excited, "How long will that take?"

"I'm not sure… it might be a long time, I've never seen one grow in the snow before…"

"How deep do you think the roots are?"

"Probably about as tall as the stem is…" I said, not sure what he wanted to know that for.

He got up, went into the supply shed, and came out with a small shovel, and a big plant-pot.

"Help me move it, da?" He said, his eyes shining with child-like curiosity.

"I… well, alright…" I pushed the snow away from the ground and used the shovel to mark where we should dig in the frozen ground to get the flower out without killing it.

He carried the big planting pot into the house, holding it with a warm hug, bearing a huge goofy grin the whole time.

"What do they look like again?" He asked, staring at the little plant with wonder.

"They're about this big around," I showed him, using both of my hands to make a circle about as wide as the flower, "The petals are yellow, and the center takes up more than most of the flower and it's dark brown."

"Hm… sounds really pretty…" He cooed, half asleep, "I hope it grows up quickly…" He reminded me of a little boy for a moment. Optimistic and excited for something amazing.

A few days later however, I woke up to find him whining to the little foot-tall plant.

"Oh please don't fall over like that, da?" He begged as if the little thing would listen, "I am trying to take care of you, but all you do is get weak and die…" Tears began to fall from his soft violet eyes.

"Sir?" I asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think my flower is dying…" He said sadly, standing up straight, "Maybe it needs more sunlight, but I can't give it that!"

"Hold on sir, I have an idea." I ran out to the storage shed, and came back with a little mesh net and some metal sticks, "We can build a little tent for your flower out of this, that way it can live outside, and the snow won't crush it."

"Wow… you're so smart Lithuania!" He said, smiling brightly.

The idea I'd had worked, because a few weeks later, he woke me up and carried me outside excitedly.

"Look! It's so pretty!" He said, standing next to the flower, "It's as tall as I am!"

I smiled, before I could stop myself I fell over laughing. Rolling to my side, trying not to choke on my own breathing.

"What?" He looked at the flower and then back at me, "What's so funny?"

"You are sir!" I choked out, "You look so cute by that flower!"

"I do?"

"Taip!" I froze, I had just spoken in my native tongue, he was going to beat me again.

"Does that mean 'da' in Lithuanian?" He asked, tilting his head.

I sighed in relief, "Da… it does…" I said, "Wait here for a second." I ran inside and grabbed his big camera (Which he used for nature photography) and my own digital.

"Okay… stand next to the sunflower, sir."

"Da!" He smiled a really cute smile.

I took a picture with mine, and then I picked out one of his favorite setting for duel subject pictures and snapped the same picture with his.

"Thank you Lithuania." He said as we went back inside.

I stopped, he went to the hall and grabbed a warm blanket, then he pushed me from behind and made me sit on the floor next to the fireplace, wrapped the fleece around me and lit the logs, then he brought me a mug full of hot cocoa and sat next to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Huh?"

"Just earlier…"

"Oh… I mean thank you of course!" He smiled goofily, "If you say thank you, it means thank you, you big silly."

I sipped the warm drink and watched the fire flickering, eager to eat up the wood that fueled it. I turned to Russia, who was humming himself to sleep.

"Hey!"

"Huh? What?" He jumped awake, his eyes wide open, I had apparently startled him, "What's wrong?"

"That's a Lithuanian lullaby… where did you learn that?"

"I heard you singing to Latvia the other day, and I really liked it…" He said, curling up close to me, "Did you know, Lithuania, that you have a really pretty voice?"

"You think so?" I asked, feeling a little awkward about being cuddled by a man so much bigger than myself, "Thank you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean thank you of course…" I said, smiling at him, he smiled back. Such a handsome smile, if it weren't for the things that had happened to him, he might be perfectly sane, if he were sane, he'd be a lot easier to get along with… maybe I could even be good friends with him, like we had promised all those years ago.

"But then again…" I spoke out loud, thinking that he was asleep, "I do kind of like your darker side…"

"Could you like me? Even though I'm a monster?" He asked quietly, into my shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Would you stay my friend, if I'm a monster?"

"…"

He smiled weakly, ands got up, starting to walk away, "I knew it… you're just like everyone else… who could like-"

"I'd still be friends with you." I said, standing and walking up to him, he turned around, dumbstruck.

"Y- you would?"

"Yes, I mean, you're still you, right?" I said, smiling, "and I like how you are."

"R-really?" His voice betrayed his shock.

"Mmm-Hmm…" I nodded, "Hey sir?"

"D… da?"

"What's your dream?"

"My dream? What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, something you want with all of your whole heart!" I said, "Mine is that one day I want to be the biggest strongest nation ever!"

"Bigger than me?"

"By far!" I said, remembering when I was a little kid.

"Don't do that Lithuania…"

"Huh?" I was surprised by his sudden change in attitude, "Why not? Isn't being big good? You're less likely to be taken over, right?"

"That's true, but when you're too big… the others are afraid of you. You have lots of problems in your government, and where you are the cold hurts terribly in winter… with lots of people, every time one dies you feel it, and they revolt, your own people hate you… it's a terrible thing, to be a big nation…"

"Sir…"

"A lot of the others think that I'm crazy, they also think that it'd be because of all the war… but I'm not so sure… I think… that if I were to go crazy, It'd be because I was too stupid to be small, and now I'm suffering for it."

"Sir… You know… you don't have to be alone…"

"That's where you're wrong, Lithuania… events are coming soon, that will force me into solitude, I will have to stand, even though it hurts me to."

"What events? What could you mean by that?"

"You will see soon enough."

"Ahh!" I jumped awake again, this time I saw that my kids were sitting in the chair next to me.

"Mama!: Darijus yelled, "What's wrong?"

"He… he told me… and I still…" I broke into tears at my realization.

"What? Who?"

"Go get Ravis and Ed!" I said, sadly.

"Oh… okay…" They both ran out to get their Aunt and Uncle.

"He what?" Ravis cried out.

"I don't believe that Toris!" Eduard was not supportive either.

"I didn't either, when he told me before, but I remember now! He really was going to set us free!" I said, "But we didn't give him a chance!"

"Toris… you hit your head hard, you're just having weird dreams." Ed tried to convince me.

"No I'm not! I know what he said!"

"But… Toris… it doesn't matter anymore…" Ravis said, and suddenly every other memory I had of Ivan passed through my head, the funeral being the last and the longest lasting, "I mean… he's gone… remember?"

"… I… I know… I just had to tell you two…" I said, feeling really dizzy, and falling backwards onto my pillows, "Can I go home yet?"

"Ya, we're just waiting on a paper to get notarized."

"Okay…"

Ja, ich werde da sein-German=Of course, I'll be there right away

Danke-German=Thank

Néha úgy érzem magam, mint az, hogy együtt vagyunk-Hungarian=I think we belonged together

Néha úgy érzem magam, mint a gyerekek összetartozó-Hungarian=I think those two belong together


	7. Happy Birthday America!

Alfred

"Oh boy! I can't wait!" I said out loud as I drove into Hong Kong, "Xiang always has the very best fireworks! There's no way, they could forget either!"

I parked and ran excitedly into the large, Anglo-Chinese style palace, and crashed into Yao in my hurry.

"Aiyah! Alfred! Watch where you're going, aru!" He yelled, uncurling himself revealing that he was carrying his young daughter, who was whining quietly, but not hurt.

"I'm so super sorry man! Is Masako okay?"

"Her name is Makoto…" He grumbled, carefully, standing again, and rocking his little girl back and forth, "Why are you so wild today anyway, aru?" He asked and the two walked together.

"I'm just excited that's all."

"Excited? What for?"

"You really don't know?"

"Uhm… I can't think of anything… well, I'll see you in a bit Al. I've got to go make sure Xiang didn't kill Arthur yet, aru…"

"O-okay… see ya…" I felt a little hurt, Yao was a good friend of mine, how could he not know? I went into the meeting room, after a few minutes, "Toris! Hey buddy!"

"Huh? Oh! Hello, Alfred, how are you today?"

"Doing really great!"

"You look like you're anticipating something. What's up?"

"Huh? Today is-"

"Oi! Burger-brains! Get yourself over here!"

"Arthur!" Francis said to his angry blond husband, "Be nice to Alfred!"

"Make me frog-face!" He said, pinching the greedy hand that was trying to grab his butt, "Alfred, hurry up!"

"Coming Iggy!" _Of course Arthur will remember that today is my birthday!_ "What's up?"

"Okay, as I'm sure you-"

"Hey you guys!" Kiku said happily, "How are you doing today, Alfred-san?"

"Doing good, and really super excited!"

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Oui, what's so exciting today, mon chere?"

"Ya, I'm with the Frenchie, what's got you so upbeat, you bloody git?"

"I… oh… nevermind… don't worry about it." Still hurt I took my seat as the meeting started up.

_I just don't get it… they should all know… I put it on all of their calendars… maybe they no… they're my friends, I know all their birthdays… _

"America!"

"Huh? What happened?"

"The meeting is taking our lunch break, you can go now…"

"Ludwig, Veni, you know what today is right?"

"Uhm…"

"Oh! I know, Ve~! It's Wednesday!"

"… kay thanks… bye… see you guys in a bit."

Veneziano

"Ve~! He's gone, hurry up you guys! He could be back really soon!" Everyone ran in and we had a quick lunch before we began to get to the portion of the meeting that would be the most fun.

Everyone did their part too, Francis, Feliks, Roderich and Elizabeta baked, Arthur, Joska, Gilbert and Eduard set up the tables, Ludwig, Ravis and I put together fun games, Toris, Anya and Darijus, even Ioann and Kamile, decorated, while Peter, Tino, Berwald, Matthew, Kat, Natalia, Kiku, Yao and Xiang put together the display. The only thing that could go wrong would be if Alfred came back early.

Alfred

"I just don't get it… I mean… really, it's big deal!" I ranted on the way back to the meeting an hour or so later, "It's the day that recognized when I first became the hero!"

I listened to some hard rock, a little surprised I found a good station here, and screamed to the bass. I loved this kind of music, Arthur never listened to it when I was at his place… but now… because of today, I could do what I wanted, and I didn't have to ask him for permission!

"Honestly! Those jerks! How the hell did they forget? I mean come on!" I pushed the door open, still yelling at myself, as if I knew and then.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALFRED!"

"huh?" I looked up, American flag were all over the back wall, there was a huge red, white and blue cake on the table, I saw games and stuff everywhere.

"Happy birthday, burger head." Arthur said, snapping the elastic strap of a party hat on my chin, putting the hat on my head. "Now shut up and eat your cake."

I hugged him, "You guys didn't forget!"

"What?" Veneziano said smiling hugely, "How could we forget?"

"Ya! I mean, you may be one annoying little brother, but you're not easily forgotten." Matthew said, hugging me.

"Besides Alfred." Francis started.

"Who could forget you?"

I heard some younger voices, whispering behind a huge curtain, and I heard something open and fall. A giant poster, a drawing of me, in a thumbs up pose, wearing my Air Force outfit, Old Glory in the background, I loved it.

"I mean, you are the hero." They all finished together.

We played the games, and ate the cake together. Then after the sun went down, and we had all had our fill of the great food, Xiang, Yao and Kiku shoved us all outside, and we were surrounded by a spectacular light show.

Every color you can think of was exploded in the pitch black sky. Several were just regular circle and scatters like I usually see at home. However, Xiang was not about to allow his favorite show be bested by some Western nation idea of a good firework display.

American flags, some that read HERO others that were my various military seals, and after each seal, would be the Latin phrase that went with each. The very last was a beautiful rainbow of rainbow colors, which ended in red, white and blue, which read HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA.

"Dudes! That was sooo unbelievably sweet yo!" I yelled as the show ended, "You guys are really boss awesome!"

"You know… I may not be the very best at keeping an eye on you, you tasteless wanker, but I am pretty sure that the only thing missing from this birthday party, is a crazy pillow war."

"Dude… ARTHUR I FREAKING LOVE YOU MAN!" I shouted.

"Well, I have enough pillows for everyone, I guess…" Xiang said nonchalantly, "I'll go get them."

He returned, a moment later, Yao had gone with him and they carried a pillow for everyone.

"How does this work?" Toris asked.

"Hai, I am not familiar with this custom either…"

"Nat, I bet I can beat you now like I always did when we were little."

"Oh ya? You're on big sis!"

"Hey Anya, ready for round fifty six?" Darijus teased.

"What? You really want me to kick your butt that badly?"

"Hey, Toris, Kiku this is how it works. We beat the holy snot out of each other with our pillows until we all fall over laughing so hard that we can hardly breathe, yo! Then we fall asleep on the floor in a huge huddle like best friends do, man! It's so much fun!"

"Ye,s but how do you know who wins? And what's the poi-"

"READYSETGO!" I yelled, hitting Arthur on the back of the head, he swings, I duck and he hits Francis instead, who turns to return fire and misses, hitting Gilbert square in the face, Antonio gets a feathery beating from Lovino, who then got hit in the head by Veneziano, who had missed when he swung at Ludwig. The whole deal went on with everyone smacking each other randomly for hours and hours, when just as I had said, we all collapsed, laughing because, I hit Francis, who hit Antonio, who fell back, and hit Tino, who returned fire, but missed and hit Ravis, Ed avenged the silly attack by throwing his cushy weapon at Berwald, then he ducked to avoid the rebounded pillow which hit Peter who yelled at Arthur and smashed the pillow into his face, Arthur spun to hit the short blond, but hit Kiku by accident, who (Being very confused) tossed his pillow at Yao's face. The night was so much fun that we slept until almost noon.

_Tony,_

_On Earth we celebrate the day we were born each year. This year, I went to Hong Kong with all of the other nations, we had cake and ice cream, played games and hung out, at night we watched a huge colorful fireworks display, and ended the night with a three hour long pillow fight. Best Birthday Ever._

_Alfred_


	8. For human101

Before we get started I have some announcements that I feel are important. 1st, I'm sorry ! I know you don't like the accents, but I need to work on them! 2nd, I found a website where I can translate Cyrillic into the Latin alphabet, so I'll be going back and changing all Cyrillic in previous chapters as well as in Siberia.

Erin

"Hallo?" I picked up the phone that had interrupted the long awaited inspiration streak, "Oh! Hallo Litauen!"

"Hm? Sveiki, Erin! Also, how many times must I ask you to call me Toris?"

"At least ein more I think." I joked, "Are you calling to speak vit Rachel?"

"Ne, it doesn't matter, I just need to know if you're both free today. I called Ludwig earlier, and Berlin doesn't have any sort of meeting, so I wondered if I could bring Anya, and Darijus over to finally meet you and Rachel."

"Ja, sure why not?" I said, checking my calendar, "Ja, there's nothing today for me, I don't know about Rachel, but I have a feeling you vould know if anything is happening today in Vilnius."

"Taip… okay when is best? After lunch? Or whenever, it's up to you."

"Ja, after lunch would be easiest. I don't take care of teenagers you know."

"Taip, that's what I thought."

"Ja, okay see you soon Litauen!" I hung up, "Rachel! Get up you lazy-" I stopped remembering the last time I called her that she ran away and I had to pay her portion of the rent for three months or I would have gotten kicked out, "Get up!"

"Tylus! Aš atsisakys jau! Rašiau ..." She yelled from her room.

"I don't know Lithuaisch! Say it in Englische or Deutsch!" I barked.

"I said, shut up, I am awake, I was writing!" She replied as peacefully as Japan would.

"Okay fine, Litauen is coming over, and he's bringing the tvins."

"Are you avare of how similar our accents are, Erin?"

"Ja… it's veird zough because ve veren't born vit zem. Now eat your stupid mittagessen."

"Ka?! But I vant to have shome pietus!"

"Zat's vat I said!"

"Oh…" She smiled like an idiot, "Vell okay den!"

Our constant banter was less angry when we were high school kids, but ever since we got turned into capitals we had accents that were new to us, and spoke different languages, as such we often got on each others nerves.

"Hoi Rachel?"

"Taip?"

"Vat do you tink of zat Ioann guy?"

"Hmm… I don't know really, but that chick, Kamile you know New Imperial Russia, I like her, she's got guts. But I don't like what she said about Ivan."

"You vanted to punch her too, I saw zat look in your eyes."

"Of course I did! Vat is she had shaid dat about Roderich huh?"

"Vat do I care?"

"Vell you're closh to Rod, de vay I am, err… vas… closh to Ivan."

"Vy is it zat our accents are so much ticker zan zose of de countries ve go viz?"

"I don't know…"

Rachel

I heard Erin answer the door and I heard Toris and his kids say hi to her, before Toris addressed me.

"Sveiki!"

"Sveiki Rachel! Kaip jauciates?"

"Puikiai, kluasia!"

"Englische!" Erin yelled as I tried to have a conversation with Toris.

"Fine… vatever! Come on in you guysh."

"Damn… it's weird that you have a such a strong and obvious Lietuvos accent, isn't it?"

"Taip, and I think it'sh odd dat you almost sound like you have an Amerikos accent, ven it vas Erin and I who were born dere!"

"Taip…"

"Allo Aunt Rachel, da?"

"Sveiki Anya, how are you?"

"I'm good, da? Allo Erin!"

"Hallo, Anastasia. Hallo Darijus."

"Hm? Sveiki Erin!"

"Verdamt does no one speak Englische anymore?" She cursed.

"What did she say, da?"

"Don't vorry about it dear." I said, smiling towards were I had heard her voice.

"Hey, I'm over here!" she said, poking my shoulder.

"Oh? Oops…"

"What's wrong with you? She's right there, can't you see her?"

"… Ne… I can't…" I said, "I'm afraid I'm completely blind…"

"Oho! You get around really well for someone who can't see!" I heard Darijus exclaim.

"I know de apartment very vell." I answered, "After all, I've lived here for nearly a hundred yearsh!"

"How did that happen? You move your eyes when you're spoken to, so it's clear that you weren't born blind."

"Zat's very good!" Erin said, "I tink it's time for a good story, ja?"

"Taip!" I said, I actually loved how the whole thing had played out so long ago.

"Oh! Can I start?" Toris asked, "I remember it quite clearly-"

"Nein, it starts a little before vat most of you know." Erin interrupted, "Ven I get to vhere you remember, you can continue, but listen to me for a moment."

As Erin spoke, I listened intently and remembered each scene as she described it.

"_Oh come on Erin!" I called, older than me by three years, and by far more gifted at drawing, we had taken a college class in animation and comic writing, "We're gonna miss the seminar!"_

"_What's so exciting about this anyway?" She asked, sighing at my childish joy, "It's just some-"_

"_No it's not! I promise I'll get some ideas! Besides, I thought you liked listening to the German accents?"_

"_I do, but I don't want to sit and listen to a stupid lecture…"_

"… _I know!"_

"_Oof!"_

"_Hoi! Vatch vhere you're goingk girlie!" The tall blond man yelled at Erin, who had gotten knocked over when the two crashed into each other._

"_Hey shut up! I'm twenty-four!" She demanded, quickly moving her arm to punch the man._

_He grabbed her fist, and whispered at her a phrase I had the misfortune of understanding. "Die junge Hündin lernen sie ihren Platz."_

"_Hey! Don't you talk about her like that!" I shouted, kicking the man's knees, He went down like a felled tree._

"_Hm… you're tough kid. I like zat." He chuckled, "I vill let you off ze hook dis time, don't let me catch you around here again."_

_Erin said nothing, but she scowled at the man with something I would consider a death glare. When he walked away, I heard her say something I didn't care to ponder._

"_So uhm… what do you want to do today?" I asked, trying to avoid getting a fist to my own face._

"_I'm in the mood for something to eat." She said quickly, "it's almost noon anyway."_

"_Right…"_

_A few weeks later we had moved to Bejing, for a look at some intricate designs, plus I wanted to see a real panda in the wild._

"_Oh gott… not you again…" I heard._

"_For the love of…" Erin said, she face-palmed and I turned to see what was going on._

_There he was again, the tall, blond, blue-eyed German from before in Vienna, staring at us as if we were a curse._

"_You know vat… zis is downright odd… I almost never run into people tvice you know!" he laughed, very different from the way he had acted the last time we met._

"… _Rachel, we're going."_

"_Now hold on ein moment." He grabbed her shoulder and she about punched him again, "I have dis veird feeling."_

"_What? Get off me before I call the cops for rape!"_

"_Nein zat's Francis." He chuckled softly, "I have dis veird feeling like ve're goingk to keep meeting up like dis, so ve might as vell have each ozer's names."_

"_I'm Rachel!" I said loudly waving like a little kid._

"_Hallo, I'm Ludwig. Now, vat's your name, Miss?"_

"_Let go of me…"_

"_Nice to meet you, 'Let go of me'." He teased, I saw a tiny smile grow on my friend's face._

"_I'm Erin." She shifted, and pulled herself away from Ludwig's hand._

"_Alright zen… … now zen…" He stood up a bit and looked around, "Uhm… by ze vay… do you know how von might get to-"_

"_I found you Ve~!" I heard a girly voice call, and saw Erin's shoulders fall slightly, "I'm so glad I found you Germ- mmf!"_

"_Shut up Veni!" Ludwig demanded, cuffing his mouth over the red haired man's mouth._

"… _sorry? Oh! … Ciao! It's nice to meet you two pretty ladies!" He flirted instantly, He's Italian… I thought to myself, "I'm Venneziano! But you can call me Veni, okay?"_

"_Hi! I'm Rachel! Are you from Italy?"_

"_Si! In fact I am Italia!"_

_Erin and I both froze. "What?"_

"_Veni you idiot! They're not like us! They don't understand!"_

"_Ve~? But our bosses get it!"_

"_Wait wait wait! I want to know about this!" I said, feeling excited, "Please please please!"_

"… _Nein-"_

"_Si of course! Come with me ve~!" He grabbed my wrist and pulled me after him._

_I laughed, "Erin come on!"_

"… _fine…"_

_Veni took me and Erin to a very, very old looking Chinese palace, he took us inside and I saw a lot of people there, it was weird, there was apparently one person here for most of the countries in the whole world!_

"_Whoa!" I shouted when I saw everybody sitting talking about very casual things, "There's a lot of people here!"_

"_Si! These are all countries!" Veni said happily, shortly receiving a light, but disciplinary blow on the head from Ludwig._

"_You idiot…"_

"_Hey what's going on?" Erin asked quickly._

_Vein and Ludwig and a few others from the room explained something very confusing in a very short amount of time. _

"Okay! I'm caught up now!" Toris said, breaking me from my little moment of memories.

"Fine… go ahead."

_Almost a year later we were still travelling looking for inspiration for an anime series we had both set ourselves on creating. We somehow met up with Ludwig, who we learned was the human form of the country Germany, and Veni, who was Italy, and some others who I didn't know right away. Somehow we got ourselves invited to lunch with the group, and we accepted._

"_Sorry, but our bosses will be joining us, da?" Said the one who I assumed was supposed to be Russia, "I hope you don't mind too much…"_

"_It's no problem at all, really!" I said, questioning to myself the heavy scarf and coat he wore, it was, after all very warm here in Riga._

_At lunch we talked and had an oddly normal conversation with the countries._

"_You know vat?" said a man who was very clearly German, "Germany I vant zese girls to begin attending your meeting each mont."_

"_Shho?" Russia asked, making an adorable expression of confusion, "You tink dat is a good idea? I mean… dey are humans, after all-"_

"_Shi! I am agreeing! This might not be a good idea!" Said China, this was the first time he had actually said anything, and that was how I realized he was in fact a man._

"_I tink dat he is right." Said the man next to Russia, "It would be good for you all I tink, to interact wit humans."_

"_Ve~!" Veni said happily._

"That's how we all met!" Toris said, "After a little while, they got their inspiration for that anime they wanted to write!"

"Taip! ve called it Hetalia!" I added.

"Not too long after that some weird sort of sickness went all over the world." Toris said, his voice becoming a little more serious.

"Ja, ve both got sick… somehow zough… Rachel had it a little differently zen I did."

"_Hey… You don't look to well, da? Are you feeling okay Erin?"_

"_Yes… I'm fine… it's just a headache…" She shooed Ivan away._

"… _okay…" He turned, and saw me, I was half asleep, slumped over in my chair, "Da! Rachel!"_

"_Mmmm…" I tried to sit up, but when I did I felt my whole body burn up, "Ah!"_

"_Oho? Mon ami! What 'as 'appened? Do you feel alright, mademoiselle?" Francis asked, I felt his hand on my forehead, "Zut alors! What a fever you 'ave! Zis is no good my dear! You need to go lay down!"_

"_But I'm fine, really…"_

"_Ni! You're very sick!" Katya said, I could hear her voice quivering._

"_Shi! You need to get some medicine, aru!" Yao said, quickly. I remembered seeing Japan stand and move quickly to catch me as I fell out of my chair._

"Hey!"

"Vat?" I jumped, Erin had startled me.

"No von knows vat happened after zat except for ze obvious, so it's your turn, okay."

"Taip.. okay…" I thought about it for a second and then started to tell what I experienced after I woke up.

"_Aiya! She's awake, aru!" I opened my eyes, I could see, but everything was very blurry._

"_Ch-China?"_

"_Shi!" I felt his hand on my forehead, "Mmm… you're getting warmer…"_

"_Hm? Do we need to check her temperature, da?" I heard Ivan ask, worry thick in his already difficult to interpret accent._

"_Oui!" I felt something long and thin and glass shoved into my mouth under my tongue. I waited a second, and it was taken out and I heard Francis declare "Cent dix-sept degrés!"_

"_Say it in Anglijskij!" I heard Ivan say._

"_One 'undred seventeen degrees, mon ami! Zat is very, very hot!"_

"_Nani? That is not a good temperature at arr!" I closed my eyes, the unclear vision was making my head hurt worse, "What wirr we do? She might… werr I mean so many of the other humans have… Igirisu! Do something!"_

"_I would! But I don't know what!" I heard Arthur say quickly, "I mean… I… I could…"_

"_Could vat?" Ludwig was now scared out of his wits._

"_I could make her one of us…" He said slowly._

"_Do it!" I heard four or five voices all shout at once._

"_I … it doesn't work like that!" He said quickly, "It's a strange sort of a curse! It takes two souls to bind one to a certain place!"_

"_I'll do it…" I could barely hear Erin as I faded again into a strange restless sleep._

"Ja… I remember zat… I vas very scared…" I could hear Erin's voice change to slightly embarrassed as she interrupted, "Of course, ve had to vait for you to vake up again before England could actually do anyzing."

"_hm? She's awake!" I could hear Erin, so I opened my eyes, I guess it was dark because I didn't see her._

"_Oh? Good! Okay let's do this then, yes?"_

"_Yes!" Erin said loudly._

_Arthur said some strange words, I couldn't decipher, Erin said something about the capital of Germany, and I said that someday I'd like to live in Vilnius. Before I knew what was happening, my body was filled with a terrible coldness that I couldn't get rid of._

"_Vat happent? Vy is she shivering like zat?" Erin's voice had changed, "Vat ze hell? Vy am I… Enlgand!"_

"_I told you there would be some changes!"_

"_Erin? Vat… vat ish happening? Vy ish it sho dark in here?"_

"_Hm? Rachel… vat do you mean? Ze lights are all on…"_

"… _But… But I can't shee anyting!" I exclaimed, "Ohhh… my head…"_

"_Lat down, love. You still need to rest, your fever is still rising somehow…" He moved, "Hold on a second…" He put the thermometer in my mouth, "Dear god!"_

"_Vat?"_

"… _One hundred and twenty degrees… looks like we did this just in time…"_

"_H-ho-how can my temperature be sho high, ven I'm fr-freezing?" I asked, trying to curl up in my blanket._

"… _I'll explain it when you wake up, so go back to sleep now, okay dear?"_

"_Taip…"_

"I swear to Dievas, that was the longest two days I've ever waited for anything!" Toris said suddenly and loudly, "When something happens in our countries," He began to explain to Anastasia and Darijus, "Especially in our capitals, we get affected. So I could feel Rachel's fever as soon as Arthur tied her to Vilnius. So I had an idea of how awful it was."

"Wow… Maci was it scary?"

"Taip… it was really trying… I think someday soon Alaska is trying to become a nation now right?"

"Taip."

"Well, then you'll be able to more closely feel what is happening in Juneau." He said, "Oh! Sorry Rachel, keep going dear."

"Kehehehe… it'sh alright."

_I woke up, feeling a little better, my head didn't hurt anymore, but I was still really cold. "Sveiki?" Huh… since when do I speak Lietvos? "Sveiki? Ar kas nors cia? Sveiki?"_

"_Rachel!" I felt Erin attack me, "Dank Gott! You're okay!"_

"_Erin… vy are all of de lightsh off? Ish it nighttime?"_

"_huh? Nein… it's ze middle of ze day… vat's wrong vit you?"_

"_I can't shee anything at all, it'sh sho dark." I answered, listening to the strange new sound of my voice._

_I stood up and wrapped the blanket tightly around myself, "Erin, vill you pleash turn de lightsh on?"_

"_Zey are on! Vat… vat's gotten into you?"_

"_Erin… I can't shee anyting!" I said, staring to panic a little._

"_Mein Gott… nein!" She put her hands on my eyes and pulled them open a bit wider, "How about now?"_

"_Ne! Shtill noting!"_

_She cursed loudly, and I heard a pair of heavy boots and then the door opened._

"_What? Oh! Rachel's awake you guys!" I heard Arthur holler down the hallway, "How do you feel, love?"_

"_I can't shee anyting!" I yelled, "Vy can't I?"_

"_Zut alors! It cannot be!"_

"_Vat?" I heard the harsh voice of Ludwig, everything was really loud or was everyone yelling?_

"_Ze… ze fievre! Non! Zhe can't 'ave… Oh dear…"_

"_Da! She… if she can't see… and her fever was so very high, da?"_

_I felt someone wrap their arms around my waist, "Chey… you'll be okay, right Miss Reicela?"_

"_Gahhh! Raivis! You can't just go up and-"_

"_I don't know!" I said suddenly, crying. I turned around and hugged the little Latvian back._

"Okay de end!" I said quickly.

"That's a really sad story!" Anastasia said standing and falling backwards, "Oof!"

"Taip, how can you say that tale with such a bright and cheerful smile?"

"Who knows? But it's really fun, ven I write on de computer, to hear vat typos I made!" I said, giggling at myself, "I'm pretty good at typing, but I mesh up and it can trow off de resht of de paragraph!"

"Ja, It's kind of fun to read vhere you messed up too."

We both laughed at me.

"But… how can you be so … so… so happy? I mean from the way you talk about it, it's like you're happy that you're blind!"

"I vouldn't go dat far… but it hash certainly given me a new… vell I'll shay it… a new look on life."

Toris laughed, patted my shoulder and then said, "Well, I think that was pretty much what these two kids wanted to hear, aciu Rachele."

"It's no problem!" I said, "Oh… give this to uhm… hish name is… err… give this to Po, for me."

"Feliks."

"Hm?"

"Po's name is Feliks."

"Ahh… aciu! He asked me if he could borrow de book after I vas done…"

"Sure thing." He took the book that I held out, "Come on you two, let's go."

"Oh… okay." Anastasia said sighing softly.

"Taip, come on Anya," Darijus said, "we still have to finish our RB battle."

"RB?"

"Rock Band." Darijus said, "It's some video game that Our Aunt Nat 's boyfriend gave us."

"I ushed to play dat vit my… … vit my broters…" I said, suddenly remembering that neither of them would speak to me anymore.

"Oh, cool!"

"Not dat I vould be able to play now, I vas never any good anyvay!" They left and I went to go finish writing.

"Hey, Rachel?"

"Taip?"

"Vat did you do vit ze remote?"

"I tink it should shtill be between de couch cushions…" I said, falling asleep at the desk.

Litauen-German=Lithuania

Sveiki-Lithuanian=Hello

Kaip jauciates-Lithuanian=How are you

Puikiai, kluasia-Lithuanian=I'm fine thanks

Englische-German=English

Verdamt-German=dammit

Die junge Hündin lernen sie ihren Platz-German=The young bitch will learn her place.

Italia-Italian=Italy

Nein-German=No

Si-Italian/Spanish=yes

Shho-Russian=What

Shi-Chinese=Yes

Mon ami-French=My friend

Zut alors-French= shucks (But I used it as whoa! Or whatever else you think of when you see or find out something really surprising)

Ni-Ukrainian=No

Cent dix-sept degrés-French=One hundred seventeen

Anglijskij-Russian=English

Nani-Japanese=What

Igirisu-Japanese=England

Maci-Lithuanian=Mom

Lietuvos-Lithuanian=Lithuanian

Ar kas nors cia-Lithuanian=Is anyone here

Dank Gott-German=Thank God

Mein Gott-German=My God

Reicela-Latvian=Rachel

Rachele-Lithuanian=Rachel


	9. Chapter 9

Yao

"Mhhnhh… bu… go back to sleep Kiku… let me sleep, aru…" I carefully shoved the little boy off my chest.

"heheh… Chichi you're so silly! I'm not haha! I'm Masako!"

"Hm? …" I rubbed my eyes sleepily, "Aiyah… You know better than to wake your Baba from his nap, aru." I ruffled her shoulder length hair and kissed her on the forehead, "Why are you so big already, aru?"

"Because my Chichi is the biggest population!" She poked my chest.

"You said that wrong, dear." Kiku picked her up off of my chest, "Your Chichi _has_ the biggest population, not _is_."

"Ohhh… okay! Arigato Haha!" She said, "Chichi was sleeping too late, so I woke him up!"

"Hmm? Sleeping late? What time is it, aru?"

"It's almost roku ji gogo-"

"Zen ma?"

"Oh hush… your boss called, desu. He said that your meeting was cancelled, or else I would have woken you up sooner. I swear."

"Hmm… you take such good care of me, aru…" I got up and kissed him.

"Ewww! Haha no Chichi tousan kisu sareteiru!" Masako jumped out of Kiku's arms and ran out of the room like she was on fire.

"What did she say?" I asked, not letting go of Kiku.

"She said 'Ewww! Mom and Dad are kissing!' It was really adorable, desu."

"Shi, it was, aru. Hey… when did you get that little tic, aru?"

"No idea." He leaned on me, "Did you know your lips twitch when you dream? Hen keke ai."

I felt myself tense slightly, Kiku almost never spoke Chinese, even for me, and his accent was like the finest silk the way he tripped over some words.

"Hm? Nani?" There was a strange fear in his warm brown eyes as I remained frozen, "Did I say something wrong, desu? Did I insult you by accident?"

"Hm? Bu! It's okay… I was just… surprised…"

"Naze?"

"Well, you don't use Zhonnguo de very often, aru…" I smiled and pulled him tightly into another hug, "…uhhh…"

"Nani?"

"Hang on, aru…" I wracked my old brain, and found what I was looking for, "Ah! Itoshi teimasu, Kiku."

"Wo ai ni, Yao-kun." I kissed him, "Oh! I can't believe I forgot! I left the stove on!" He let go and ran to the kitchen, I guess it was alright, the smell of burnt rice made us both sick.

I sat down on the bed, and woke up an hour later, Masako jumping on my stomach again.

She laughed like Kiku and then said something perfectly impossible to understand, not Japanese, not Chinese, just Gibberish.

"Baba, supper is ready, aru!"

"Hm?" I was still groggy so I was certain I had heard her wrong, "Say that again dear…"

"I said, supper is ready, aru!"

"…" I couldn't help but laughing, which upset Masako a great deal.

"Nani?" She cried, grabbing my long sleeves and pulling them so I was looking her in the eyes, "What's so funny, Baba?"

"Yao… quit making our daughter so upset!" I heard Kiku call from the main room, I also heard the tatami mats shuffle slightly, which meant that if I didn't go eat soon, I'd have to make my own supper later.

"Nothing Masako, it's nothing at all." I patted her on the head and stood up all the way, "let's go eat, aru?"

"Shi!"

"Hai moshi moshi." I heard Kiku answer the phone, which I hadn't heard ring, "Hai… uhmm… I- I suppose… we have nothing happening at the moment, desu." I heard the soft clicking that meant he hung up.

"Who was it, aru?"

"It was Kaoru. He asked if he could come over for the night, and I said it was fine."

"… o-okay…" I got up and went into our bedroom to change.

"Hm? Where are you going Yao?"

"I need to change… aiya…" I grabbed a nice scarlet and gold hanfu with black trimming.

"Why are you putting on such a fine-"

"Because … I don't know!" I hung it back up and grabbed something more casual.

"… are- are you afraid of Kaoru? What he thinks of you?"

"Bu… shi! I… I don't want him to think that I'm… … I just … I want him to know that…"

"That what, Yao?" Kiku put his hands lightly on my shoulders, I turned around to push him away, but he looked sad, I couldn't manage it.

"I… I _do_ care about him, aru…" I felt like a child, crying into Kiku's shoulders, "He thinks I hate him!"

"… Aii Yao-kun… you are so childish… Why don't you just tell Kaoru then?"

"He doesn't listen to anyone! I've heard he's even starting to shut out Mei Mei and Emil!"

"Emil too?"

"Shi… Aiya, I'm…"

"Muqin?" I froze, "Ni wei shen ma ku na?"

"… K-Kaoru!… Y-you came earlier than I expected aru…" I chuckled nervously, and wiped my eyes before turning to face him.

"… … I… I'm sorry…. I guess…"

"Hm? Bu! No need to apologize! I just wasn't ready yet, aru…"

"Why is your good hanfu out?"

"… … I thought there was going to be a meeting with my boss today, but it got canceled last minute…" I tried to smile, but I could tell it looked odd so I gave up.

"… o-okay…" His own eyes looked red and sore, as if he had been upset about something as well.

"Are you o- I mean … how are you, aru?"

"Yao…" Kiku nudged me, and I realized we were still in our bedroom.

"Oh!" I laughed like an idiot, "We could go into the main room if you want to, Kaoru…"

"… uhh… actually…. I really just wanted to talk with Muqin privately…"

"Oh! Okay, I'll go make some tea!" Kiku smiled brightly and left quickly.

"…Muqin? … I… I need some help…" He sat down on my bed and put his face in his hands.

"Kaoru!" I was startled, not because he had nearly fallen over, what shocked me was how much expression he showed.

"I… I may have… … uhhm… well I…"

I sat down and tried to listen to his, apparently nervous, stammering. Eventually he got to a point that made some sense.

"Really? Kaoru, that's so wonderful, aru!"

"Bu! It isn't! I… I don't know what to do!" He said loudly, "What if I get like Bab-"

"Bu! Don't you even suggest that!" I grabbed him, and hugged him as tightly as I could, "You are nothing like that stupid Western blond, aru! I'll tell you what you do, aru. You have to stay with Emil the whole time, don't do anything stupid, don't hurt him. You have to be willing to let him say bad things about you, because he will, aru. Trust me."

"… heheh…" He laughed softly, which made me smile.

"… So… my little baby is going to be a Baba… Aiya… I am getting old, aru…" I sighed, and laid back on the bed.

"Not that old…" He laid back next to me, and curled up against my chest, "But I do wish I was little again…"

"Hm? Why's that, aru?" I put my arm over his shoulders and held him warmly, "You don't have to be small for me to hold you like a child, aru."

"… But it's not as warm…"

"I disagree…" I started feeling very tired, and I started remembering a lot of things, happy things, less happy things, funny things, everything I could remember about when Kaoru was little, before he was a country, "Aiya… I _am_ old…"

"heh… maybe…" He curled up tightly, and wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging me, Wo ai ni, Muqin."

"… Wo ai ni, Kaoru…"

"Baba! Muqin says it's time to have tea!"

"… Kaoru?" I tried to shake him slightly, but he had fallen asleep, "Kaoru… wake up sweet heart, aru."

"Mmm… hm? Zhe shi zen me hui shi?"

"Kiku says we need to have tea, aru. I don't think it's smart to argue with him now."

Kaoru laughed softly, "I might agree with that."

"After tea, you should go home to Emil. I'm sure he's just as scared as you okay, aru?"

"Shi… okay Muqin." He sighed.

The next morning I woke up and Kiku had already made breakfast. _Aiya… I must be more exhausted lately than I thought…_

"What was it that Kaoru wanted, Yao?"

"He just asked for some advice, aru."

"About…?" Kiku was dressed oddly again, like a nurse or something, "Come on, lemme know! I promise I won't tell Liz."

"You should've asked him last night, I question whether or not I should tell you myself, aru."

"… fine." He pouted, giving me a smaller serving of pork than himself and Masako.

Bu-Chinese=no

Chichi-Japanese=dad

Baba-Chinese=dad

Arigato-Japanese=Thank you

Roku ji gogo-Japanese=6 o' clock P.M.

Zen ma-Chinese=what

Shi-Chinese=yes

Hen keke ai-Chinese=It's very cute

Nani-Japanese=what

Naze-Japanese=why

Zhonnguo de-Chinese=Chinese

Itoshi teimasu-Japanese=I love you

Wo ai ni-Chinese=I love you

Hai moshi moshi-Japanese= used to answer phones

Hanfu-Chinese traditional wear

Muqin-Chinese=Mother

Ni wei shen ma ku na-Chinese=Why are you crying

Zhe shi zen me hui shi-Chinese=What's going on


End file.
